MnDOT Wants Public's Input For I-494 Project In Hennepin County

RICHFIELD, MN — The Minnesota Department of Transportation is asking the public for input on the agency's plan for Interstate 494 in Hennepin County.

MnDOT is currently in the planning phase of a project that seeks to improve the safety, accessibility, and efficiency of Interstate 494 in the cities of Edina, Richfield, Bloomington, and Eden Prairie.

MnDOT said it aims to do the following with the project, which is slated to start in 2023:

• Provide a transit advantage to increase the number of people who can be efficiently moved through the corridor
• Improve the reliability of the average rush-hour trip
• Improve safety
• Restore pavement to preserve infrastructure and provide a smoother ride
• Improve drainage systems to reduce localized flooding and reduce run-off into the Minnesota River
• Preserve existing bridges
• Improve intersections to meet ADA guidelines
• Improve the pedestrian and bicycle network

MnDOT is hosting a public hearing on May 5 in Bloomington for people to submit formal comments on the project.

Find out more about the plans, and submit comments, on the project's website.