Last piece of highway a half century in the making opens in north metro

Back in the 1970s, leaders in the rapidly growing suburbs of Brooklyn Park and Maple Grove began dreaming of a “North Crosstown” highway to ease the traffic crunch on I-694 and I-94.

A half-century later, their vision has gone from conception to completion.

Last Monday, a host of local, state and federal dignitaries assembled on a new overpass for a ribbon cutting to symbolically open the last segment of the highway that runs 15 miles from I-94 in Maple Grove to Hwy. 10 in Blaine, giving drivers a direct connection to I-35W in Mounds View via Hwy. 10.

The new road and overpass officially opened to motorists late last week.

“Since this project was first imagined in the 1970s, our collective vision for Hwy. 610 has been to create an essential transportation route across the northern suburbs to connect communities, create jobs and strengthen local economies,” said Maple Grove Mayor Mark Steffenson. “After more than five decades of thoughtful planning and persistence, this vision is now a reality.”

Over the past two construction seasons, Maple Grove took the lead on the $58 million project to build a four-lane divided roadway called Rush Creek Boulevard to connect I-94 with County Road 30. The project also brought a missing connection that drivers have long pined for: A ramp from westbound Hwy. 610 to eastbound I-94. Another new connection allows motorists to go from westbound I-94 to westbound Hwy. 610 and onto Rush Creek Boulevard.

State and federal grants and money from Hennepin County also helped pay for the project that officials say will improve access to nearby medical and commercial facilities.

The first segment of Hwy. 610 opened in the mid-1980s linking Hwy. 252 in Brooklyn Park with the junction of Hwy. 47 in Coon Rapids. The six-lane bridge became the only crossing over the Mississippi River between Anoka and Brooklyn Center.

By 2000, more segments had been added and the highway ran from Hwy. 10 to Hwy. 169. The last links from Hwy. 169 to I-94 opened in the mid 2010s. With the new segment, the road now stretches west into Maple Grove and Corcoran.

The ceremony also included a moment of silence to remember contractor Adam Smith who was killed in September on the job.

Portions of Hwy. 61 in downtown Hastings have not been rebuilt since 1931. The highway also is unsafe with crash rates above the statewide rate for half of the intersections in the city.

To address those issues, MnDOT will reconstruct 2.3 miles of the highway with concrete from the south end of the Hastings bridge to 36th Street from fall 2027 to spring 2029. Highlights include roundabouts at Hwy. 316 and 36th Street, a stop light at 18th Street, new sidewalks and pedestrian ramps and replacing the wall along Hwy. 61 at Todd Field.