Highway 51/Snelling Avenue

Project complete

About this project

We reconfigured Snelling Ave. between Montreal Ave. and Ford Pkwy. in St. Paul in 2024. This traffic safety project constructed a center median, reconstructed the traffic signal at Montreal Ave. and Snelling Ave., reduced traffic to one lane in each direction with dedicated left turns at the median breaks, removed parking along Snelling Ave., and constructed a new 10’ multi-use trail on the east side of Snelling Ave.

We also resurfaced a half mile of Snelling Ave. between St. Clair Ave. and Grand Ave. The project included building bumpouts and ADA-compliant crossings at all intersections north of St. Clair Ave. and Grand Ave.

In 2025, we replaced the signal system at the intersection of Snelling Ave. and St. Clair Ave., resurfaced the intersection and installed ADA-compliant crossings.

Summary of work

Snelling Ave. between Montreal Ave. and Ford Pkwy.

• Constructed an 8 ft. concrete center median along Snelling Ave., with breaks for designated left turns from NB Snelling Ave. at W. Rome Ave., Saunders Ave., Beechwood Ave. and Bohland Ave.
• There will be no left turns allowed from Rome Ave. and Beechwood Ave. to NB Snelling Ave. Traffic will be able to turn left from Saunders Ave. and Bohland Ave. to NB Snelling Ave.
• Constructed 10 ft. multi-use trail on the east side of Snelling Ave.
• Improved the sidewalk on the west side from a 5 ft. sidewalk to 6 ft. sidewalk, and installed ADA crossings along Snelling Ave.
• Reconstructed the traffic signal at Snelling Ave. and Montreal Ave.
• Improved drainage

Snelling Ave. between St. Clair Ave. and Grand Ave.

• Replaced the traffic signal system at the intersection of Snelling Ave. and St. Clair Ave.
• Removal and replacement of dead/diseased trees (occurring in 2025)
• Resurfaced Snelling Ave. between St. Clair Ave. and Grand Ave.
• Updated sidewalks and crossings to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Improved drainage
• We partnered with the city of St. Paul to address sanitary sewer and storm sewer preservation needs on this project. The city will pay for the cost of additional work.

Tree removal

We removed 34 trees along Snelling Ave. between St. Clair Ave. and Grand Ave. in early January 2024. Tree removal was needed because:

• trees were diseased or in poor condition;
• the trees’ location conflicted with construction for road improvements in summer 2024;
• construction impacts to the tree’s root system would prevent the tree’s ability to survive long-term.

MnDOT staff respects the value that trees bring and carefully identified the location of each tree that was to be removed. We will reseed the area and in 2025 will plant new boulevard trees along Snelling Ave. to replace those removed for construction, or to replace additional trees as they die or are removed.