Burnsville council approves municipal consent for Highway 13–Nicollet grade‑separation project

Burnsville — The city council on March 3 approved municipal consent for a Minnesota Department of Transportation project to grade‑separate Trunk Highway 13 and Nicollet Avenue, endorsing a final layout the project team said will improve freight mobility and safety along a congested corridor.

"The main reasons for the improvements at Nicollet and 13 are mobility and safety," said Kyle Johnson, a consultant presenting design details to the council. The approved plan calls for Highway 13 to pass over Nicollet Avenue, with Nicollet routed under the bridge and a partial cloverleaf eastbound loop to maintain traffic flow. Presenters described dual left turn lanes for northbound Nicollet, pedestrian crossings at signalized north and south intersections, and a shared‑use path under the bridge.

The project team — identified in the meeting as city engineer Logan Blacidity and MnDOT representatives Lisa Daniels and Brian Fichek — said the intersection has a crash‑rate index higher than the state average and that 13 is a major freight corridor. Presenters noted a history of public engagement with three open houses since 2024 and that project materials are posted on MnDOT and city webpages.

Noise mitigation is part of the design process. The team said noise walls are proposed in specific locations where modeled reductions reach Federal Highway Administration abatement thresholds; property owners and residents identified as "benefited receptors" would vote on those walls in a separate solicitation process. "Benefited receptors" are property owners or residents who would experience a modeled noise reduction of five dB or more, the presenters said.

Schedule and traffic impacts announced at the hearing call for municipal consent in March 2026, completion of an environmental assessment targeted for May 2026, and a project letting in August 2026. Major construction is expected to begin in spring 2027. The presenters told the council that Nicollet Avenue will require a full closure during the 2027 construction season (spring through fall 2027) while Trunk Highway 13 traffic will be maintained with at least one lane open in each direction; periodic weekend and nighttime closures of Highway 13 are also expected for specific activities such as setting bridge beams.

On funding, the presenters said the project has secured $26.9 million in grants, state bonding and congressional directed spending. After those funds, the presenters said, the estimated Burnsville city share is $210,000; the city has currently set aside $510,000 for the project. The presenters described a design‑build procurement approach and said final costs and staging will be refined by the design‑build contractor.

City and MnDOT staff described responsibilities for maintenance after construction: MnDOT would maintain the bridge structure and deck, while the city would retain responsibility for its local streets and for sidewalks beneath the bridge (including snow removal); other adjacent jurisdictions were noted as sharing maintenance for their respective facilities.

No members of the public registered to speak online during the public hearing, the clerk reported. After closing the hearing, the council moved, seconded and approved municipal consent by voice vote. The mayor congratulated the project team and the council signaled readiness to proceed to cooperative agreements and subsequent contract actions.

Next steps identified by staff include returning to council with a cooperative construction agreement in spring 2026 and ordering long‑lead items such as water main valves; final design and public communications will continue as the project advances to letting and construction.

Actions recorded: the council voted to approve the municipal consent resolution for the Highway 13 and Nicollet Avenue improvements; the motion carried on a voice vote and was recorded as approved by the mayor.