4th Street / 35W Ramp

Hennepin County Presentation

From the Star Tribune on November 11, 2011:

A planned connection to northbound Interstate 35W near the Metrodome represents the first new freeway access from downtown Minneapolis in about 20 years.

A key City Council committee approved the project Tuesday, setting the stage for a vote by the full council Friday. Slotted for construction next year, the $13.5 million project is expected to improve access and flow on 35W and divert rush-hour traffic from Washington Avenue S.

The new access would allow drivers to reach 35W by following 4th Street past the Metrodome, then making a left turn at a traffic light onto a new ramp.

The project also includes adding a northbound 35W auxiliary lane between 4th St. SE. and Stinson Boulevard to break up congestion caused by cross-weaving drivers entering at 4th St and exiting at E. Hennepin Avenue. The project also will change the exit patterns for Johnson Street, New Brighton Boulevard and Stinson, although drivers will keep access to all three. Noise walls likely will be built in this area.

4th St. 35W Ramp Downloads

Hennepin County Presentation

Update on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 11:20AM by David Tinjum

The 35W project is a cooperative venture between the Minnesota Department of Transportation, which provided $9.4 million, and the city and Hennepin County, which will nearly split the remaining cost of slightly more than $4 million. The state will handle contractor selection with a bidding process like the 35W replacement bridge, in which qualified firms submit proposals that will be judged by a combination of a technical score and cost. That's scheduled for February 2012.