169 REDEFINE: All lanes, new Main Street interchange opens in Elk River
Final year nearly complete
ST. CLOUD, Minn. —The Minnesota Department of Transportation is thrilled to announce the final year of the Highway 169 Redefine project is nearly complete as the new Main Street interchange and all lanes open to travelers in Elk River, Sherburne County, late Friday evening, Nov. 1.
“MnDOT is proud to deliver this three-year, $124 million Corridors of Commerce-funded project,” said MnDOT District 3 Engineer Mike Ginnaty. “Converting three miles of Highway 169 into a new freeway design is a major accomplishment, one that will benefit the Elk River community and the traveling public for the long-term.”
Milestones for this 2022-2024 project include:
- New lanes and connections on both directions of Highway 169
- Four new interchanges for improved traffic flow, safety and capacity:
- Highway 169 bridge over Main Street in 2024
- School Street bridge over Highway 169 in 2023
- Highway 169 bridge over 193rd Avenue in 2023
- 197th Avenue bridge over Highway 169 in 2022
- Upgraded underground infrastructure and city utilities and stormwater purification ponds
- Reconfigured and improved access to/from the Highway 10/101/169 interchange and replaced northbound Highway 101/169 bridge over Highway 10 in 2022
- Improved pedestrian access on local streets with new trail/sidewalk connections and signal systems with accessible features—verbal messages, audio tones and vibrating surfaces
Crews will continue to complete work along the project through November. Motorists may encounter periodic lane or shoulder closures. The Main Street signal system will also be monitored and adjusted.
Crews will return in spring 2025 for final road striping, turf establishment and other warranted work.
MnDOT, the City of Elk River, Sherburne County and the prime contractor Ames Construction, Burnsville, Minn., thank the public for their patience throughout the project that improves traffic flow, increases capacity, reduces bottle necks, and improves motorist and pedestrian safety on Highway 169 in Elk River.
For more information, visit the 169 Redefine project web page at mndot.gov/d3/elkriverfreeway.
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