Anybody leaving a Vikings game or large event at U.S. Bank Stadium knows that getting out of downtown on traffic-choked streets can be an unpleasant experience.
A new lane planned for 3rd Street on the north side of the stadium could ease that crush by giving drivers better access to nearby freeways, said Jeff Handeland, an engineer in the Minneapolis Transportation Engineering and Design division of Public Works.
It will be a "contraflow" lane, which allows traffic to go the opposite direction on otherwise one-way streets.
The lane will allow for two-way traffic on 3rd Street between Park Avenue and 11th Avenue S. — near the on-ramps to Interstates 35W and 94 — whenever 4th Street is closed. That's often the case when events let out; 4th Street is blocked at Chicago Avenue to allow light-rail trains to pass and accommodate large numbers of pedestrians and bicyclists who fan out on Park and Chicago avenues.
The idea is to have more inbound traffic lanes available when fans are heading to events and more outbound lanes open when fans leave.
It won't be a cure-all, Handeland said, but it should improve traffic flow near the stadium and cut down on conflict points with pedestrians and bicyclists.
"No one should expect the street grid to be free-flowing because of one improvement," Handeland said. "Streets are going to be congested after events, but it will improve the transportation experience."
Currently 3rd Street is one way with two lanes carrying traffic into downtown, and 4th Street is a one-way with two lanes carrying traffic out of downtown. The plan calls for building a crossover near the stadium's loading dock to shift outbound traffic back over to 4th Street just before the exit leading to freeways and Hiawatha Avenue.
