The popular Green Line Extension LRT construction site walking tours are taking reservations for this spring’s escorted treks. The tours are scheduled for times when construction crews and machines are likely to be working.
Participants must be able to walk over uneven terrain for at least one mile to learn about and see construction progress on bridges, the Kenilworth tunnel and various stations. Project staff provide hard hats and safety vests.
Each tour is limited to 15 people. The free tours require pre-registration and fill up quickly. Register online at the Metro Green Line Extension website.
Spring tour dates and places
Louisiana Avenue Station (St. Louis Park) – Monday, May 13: 10-11 a.m.
Completed freight and LRT rail elements, station platform, and improvements to the South Cedar Lake Regional Trail.
Shady Oak Station (Hopkins) – Friday, May 17: 10-11:30 a.m.
Shady Oak Station area and platform; 3,000-foot-long Minnetonka-Hopkins LRT Bridge; new connections between Excelsior Boulevard to 5th Street and K-Tel Drive.
SouthWest Station (Eden Prairie) – Saturday, May 18: 10:30 a.m.-noon.
New and operating SouthWest Transit Bus/LRT waiting area, new parking ramp and a walk over the Prairie Center Drive LRT Bridge.
The Bridges of ‘Tonka (Minnetonka) – Saturday, May 18: 1-2 p.m.
Explore the new Minnetonka-Hopkins Bridge and the Smetana and Feltl Bridges and hear the story of the complex construction challenges posed by steep terrain and nearby residences, businesses and road traffic.
Kenilworth LRT Tunnel East Segment (Minneapolis)
- Monday, May 20: Noon-1:30 p.m.
- Thursday, May 23: 3-4:30 p.m.
The tours of the controversial Kenilworth tunnel area are bound to fill up quickly. The east tunnel site tours begin at Cedar Lake Parkway and include the east end of the tunnel. It is anticipated that the two identical tours will be able to walk inside the tunnel.
LRT project notes: Both tunnel tours are identical. Register for only one tour. During the remainder of the construction season, additional light rail construction site tours are contemplated.
Editors note: Writer Jeff Strate’s report is based on the April 19 Metro Green Line Extension Construction Bulletin. Jeff is a founding member of EPLN’s Board of Directors.
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