Northwest Metro Wants Help Easing I-494 Congestion

Provided by Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services

Plymouth Mayor Kelli Slavik says traffic slowdowns and heavy congestion along a stretch of Interstate 494 through her northwest metro community are bad for business and frustrating for residents.

HF465, sponsored by Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka), would help ease that problem by using $50 million in state bonding proceeds — in addition to existing state transportation dollars — to add a third lane in each direction on a stretch of busy suburban interstate highway through the growing cities of Plymouth and Maple Grove.

“It’s a critical need for our community,” Slavik said of the proposed third lane, both for safety and business-related reasons.

House Transportation Finance Committee members heard the bill Wednesday without taking a vote. Rep. Frank Hornstein (DFL-Mpls), the committee chair, said the bill would be ranked by the committee along with other transportation bonding proposals before being forwarded to the House Capital Investment Committee for possible inclusion in a bonding bill.

Congestion in the area is a problem state officials are already seeking to solve, at least temporarily. The Department of Transportation has proposed a “dynamic shoulder” lane for use at peak traffic times or during a crash that slows traffic for the stretch of 494 between East Fish Lake Road and Highway 55. 

Slavik, however, calls that plan, estimated to cost up to $40 million, a “short-term solution.” Traffic back-ups can be so bad during rush hour, she said, that large numbers of drivers are exiting the interstate early and using local roads in Plymouth to make their way home. That is creating additional congestion problems on city streets, Slavik said.

I-494 was widened to six lanes south of Interstate 394 a decade ago. Now, Plymouth and Maple Grove leaders want to see the same north of 394. Congestion along the corridor is hurting business, said Judy Johnson, government affairs director with the Twin West Chamber of Commerce.

“In order for businesses to survive and thrive, time is money,” Johnson said. 

A companion, SF239, sponsored by Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka), has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee.