West metro city leaders and residents, especially in Plymouth, have long appealed to the state to add a third lane on Interstate 494 from Hwy. 55 north to Interstate 694 — the only portion of 494 that lacks a third lane.
But until that happens, a temporary and cheaper fix is coming with a road project that will add wider shoulders, known as "dynamic shoulders," for traffic during rush hours.
State transportation officials will meet with Plymouth, Minnetonka and Maple Grove residents and businesses next week to discuss the $61.5 million project. The Minnesota Department of Transportation sent out more than 10,000 invitations to businesses and residents for meetings at Plymouth City Hall Tuesday, Nov. 19 — the first of many public meetings before construction is slated to start in eight months.
But while Plymouth leaders welcome the temporary fix, they still are pushing for a permanent solution.
"We're grateful there's dynamic shoulders, but we want to look at what's the long-term fix," Plymouth City Manager Dave Callister said. "This section has been forgotten."
Project has lots of parts
Starting in July, MnDOT crews will repave I-494 between I-394 and the Fish Lake interchange, where I-694, I-94 and I-494 converge. They'll also repair 14 bridges and add noise barriers for homes and businesses if they vote to do so.
What is likely to be most significant to the estimated 95,000 commuters each day, however, will be the "dynamic shoulders" added in both directions between Hwy. 55 and East Fish Lake Road.
The wider shoulder will be opened to traffic during peak periods of the day, similar to a dynamic shoulder on northbound I-35W between 46th and 26th streets in south Minneapolis — although motorists must pay to use it there.