A major construction project in Eden Prairie is slated to take place this summer, with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) looking to repair concrete, pave shoulders, and update guardrails on Highway 212 and Highway 5 between Eden Prairie Road (County Road 4) and Interstate 494.
During construction, crews will work on one direction (eastbound or westbound) at a time, with the direction under construction reduced to one through lane of traffic. MnDOT anticipates some short-term ramp closures during the project; the Mitchell Road ramp to westbound Hwy. 5 is slated to be closed for the duration of the project and used as a staging area for the project’s contractor. The project will also entail two full weekend closures on Hwy. 5, one for each direction, with traffic detoured using Highways 41 and 212.
Work is expected to begin in early to mid-June, with completion targeted for early to mid-September. The intent has been to complete most of the project outside of the school year, according to Diane Langenbach, south area engineer for MnDOT. The scheduled last day of school for the Eden Prairie Schools district is June 10. Langenbach noted that weather and unforeseen conditions can impact the project timeline.
It is also possible, Langenbach said during a presentation to the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce, that the contractor awarded the bid for the project could propose changes that might impact the traffic flow or accelerate the timeline, subject to MnDOT approval. MnDOT is slated to award the bid for the estimated $7 million project this spring and will host a virtual meeting on the project for the general public after the contractor has been identified.
Suggested alternate routes
The portions of Hwy. 212 and 5 that join to become a common roadway, Langenbach said, currently carry an average daily traffic of 103,000 vehicles. The purpose of this summer’s project, she said, is to conduct pavement repair that will extend the service life of the road.
“If we don’t get in there and repair the joints, then water gets down there, we run into that freeze/thaw cycle, and it just really wreaks havoc on the pavement,” she said. The roadway was last updated in 1998 and 1999.
Additionally, Langenbach said, some guardrails in the construction area do not meet current standards, and shoulders need improvements. The project will begin with resurfacing the shoulders so the pavement can be used for traffic shifts during construction.
MnDOT’s suggested alternate routes for traffic during the Hwy. 212 and 5 construction include Valley View Road between Eden Prairie Road/County Road 4 and I-494, and Technology Drive between Prairie Center and Flying Cloud drives.
Additionally, MnDOT is suggesting alternate routes that include Flying Cloud Drive (known as County Road 61 in Carver County) between Hwy. 212 in Carver and I-494 in Eden Prairie; Highway 101 between Hwy. 5 in Chanhassen and Flying Cloud Drive; and U.S. Highway 169 from south of Chaska to the I-494 interchange in eastern Eden Prairie.
MnDOT may also make adjustments to traffic signal timing to mitigate traffic impact during the project, Langenbach said. MnDOT operates all of the signals along the Hwy. 212 trunk highway. For city-controlled traffic lights, such as those along suggested alternate routes, she said MnDOT would ask the city to watch for traffic impact and adjust timing as needed.
This project will have a designated business and community liaison within MnDOT. This person will stay up to date on the project through weekly construction meetings with MnDOT and the contractor and will communicate via phone calls and emails.
The liaison will have a project hotline for direct communication with business owners, schools, and emergency services affected by the construction.
“The bottom line is that they work with the construction engineer to minimize construction impacts, but I always add this: to the extent possible,” Langenbach said.
MnDOT maintains a website dedicated to the Hwy. 212 and 5 project in Eden Prairie, where those interested can also sign up for email updates.
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