Road work will throw east metro beltway for a loop

Traffic on a 12-mile stretch of the east metro beltway will be tightened for much of the summer as a major construction project greets the spring.

Businesses in Woodbury and Oakdale along Interstate 694 north of Interstate 94, and on Interstate 494 south of the I-94 interchange are already bracing for disruption from ramp closings and rerouted traffic. Commuters to nearby employers such as 3M Co. and The Hartford Insurance Cos. will face congestion or a search for alternate routes.

But when the orange cones are removed, I-494 from Interstate 94 to the Wakota Bridge will be three lanes wide the entire way.

"There's certainly going to be some pain during construction," said Marc Briese, east area engineer for the state Department of Transportation and business liaison for the project. But the result will be smoother-flowing traffic.

Both projects, estimated to cost a total of $40 million, are to begin in April after the ground thaws, Briese said.

The highlights: Will be expanded to three lanes south of I-94. A 10-inch overlay of concrete will be added and paved. A noise wall will be built in the southeast section of the Lake Road interchange to reduce the din for nearby homes.

The impact: Two lanes of traffic going north and south are expected to be open during most of the work. The biggest impact will come from intermittent closing of exit ramps at Lake Road, Valley Creek Road and Tamarack Road.

The highlights: A 10-inch concrete overlay will be put down and paved over. It's expected to last 25 to 30 years.

The impact: Northbound I-694 between the I-94 interchange and Hwy. 36 is expected to be pinched to one lane in either direction, Briese said. For the first several weeks, the northbound lanes of the freeway will be closed, then the southbound lanes will close.

The end: September.

For a 10-day stretch, the two closest exits to the Valley Creek Mall, which includes a Warners' Stellian appliance store and Keys restaurant, will be closed. "Our merchants are definitely concerned about it," said Kathy Bayliss, senior property manager for Wellington Management, which runs the mall off the I-494/Valley Creek Road interchange.

That sense is shared across the freeway at Woodbury Village, anchored by Kohl's, Target Greatland and Rainbow Foods stores. "It's going to be an impact on us, just like everyone else," said Mark Peterson, property manager for Robert Muir Co., which owns the shopping center.