Adapting traffic ”“ Construction Update: New Lake Street & 35W Transit Station

By MNDOT adapted by GUSTAVO MANCILLA

As part of the 35W@94 project, MnDOT and Metro Transit are building a new transit station at I-35W & Lake Street Transit Station. The transit station is scheduled to open in late 2021 with the launch of the METRO Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit service along I-35W.

A new stage for this construction project at Lake Street will begin this spring (early April) ”“ if weather permitting – and is anticipated to take two years and be completed by Fall 2021.

Pedestrians and drivers must know that Lake St. will, in general, remain open with one lane available in each direction and access to all businesses will be maintained during the con-struction.

The new transit station will include great new amenities, such as bike parking, benches, real-time bus arrival information, heating, trash and recycling bins, a station marker, and an in-formation kiosk.

The station will provide a significant upgrades in comfort and safety in comparison to existing bus stops. From the station, it will take riders 7 minutes to get downtown. There will be ap-proximately 700 buses stopping at the station each day, and 100 buses traveling downtown will stop here during rush hour.

The station will host the Orange Line, a 17-mile planned highway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line that will connect Minneapolis, Richfield, Bloomington, and Burnsville along I-35W, which will provide frequent, all-day service in both directions, seven days a week; every 10-minutes during rush-hour and every 15 minutes during non-rush hour.

The project includes a space called The Green Crescent,which is a one-block stretch of green-space that will include biking and walking paths to connect the Midtown Greenway to the new Lake Street Transit Station; providing direct bicycle and pedestrian access from the new transit station to the Midtown Greenway. The bike ramp is scheduled to be open to the public in 2021.

There will be community-inspired public art installations created by two South Minneap-olis Latino artists, Maria Cristina Tavera and Xavier Tavera.
Other improvements along this construction site in the crossing of Lake Street and Hwy 35W include the addition of new pavement along Lake Street between Blaidsdell Ave. and 5th Ave. S. in Minneapolis, new sidewalks, new city utility upgrades and a new SB 35W auxiliary lane between I-94 and Lake Street.

Good things come to those who wait. Thank you for your patience.

For more information, visit: www.mndot.gov/35W94

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