[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6221022,"mediaKeyId","3615215-8e9dbdaef0a3d60083300d8a0e6dbfb8","parentId",3615215,"title","MnDOT seeks Richfield input on I‑494 phase 2, warns federal grant requires E‑ZPass plan","audioSeconds",1232,"startMs",2658000,"endMs",1426000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3615215-8e9dbdaef0a3d60083300d8a0e6dbfb8&start=2658&end=1426","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3615215-8e9dbdaef0a3d60083300d8a0e6dbfb8/thumbnail_2658000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6221022/Richfield-City/Hennepin-County/Minnesota/MnDOT-seeks-Richfield-input-on-I494-phase-2-warns-federal-grant-requires-EZPass-plan","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221022-6c5a5e683a430f98766d35c72c7ceff5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770389274&Signature=KY8QDEKDpwoeyW6OwAVpvxrqm1IsiN0QBqmTGATs0jAHGwTAj-0BwMi1Rf5wRcYF4asHn~SZsiVYwzfCxMxi48g6Zo0Ia1NZiaEf0RRskMOtX3HZnGAW9mb5~bKUp3kl2JYPM1s3-cWL3jEx9L2tnuT2nDKt89tWQa7N-UzOapXvY8dfcLfT2ddaJ4smzTJ0y4KTCL1M-kOvHenrnpPj7-kAUwQc~m8qPHMR792cYRzodlI8DR8mlsXsEA8ulsaO6pj275zZUNImkOAv1FwaeTQduaOOjys3BfdA~Fyc6CMHHCK2fsqLiI24mhQsMa7thwp8VqCoyuguqvQA6hieaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Richfield, MN","date","2025-05-31T00:54:02.743Z","article","Minnesota Department of Transportation officials told the Richfield City Council May 27 that major grants backing a multi‑phase I‑494 corridor vision require the project to keep the currently proposed managed (E‑ZPass) lanes and that altering that design could threaten the funding. Andrew Letai, a MnDOT project representative, said the INFRA federal grant applications and earlier state Corridors of Commerce requests shaped the scope of the first and upcoming phases.

The warning matters because the corridor vision covers roughly $1 billion in potential improvements and MnDOT has so far identified funding for only a portion of that total. Changing the lane plan now, Letai said, could cause grant money to be withdrawn and jeopardize the schedule for the stretch of 494 that passes through Richfield.

MnDOT described the corridor vision as a joint effort among state, regional and local partners and said the overall plan was broken into nine independent project elements so work could move forward as funding becomes available. Letai said project 1 focused on items that produced direct community benefits and that future elements could be built independently.

On managed lanes versus converting existing general‑purpose lanes, Letai told the council: \"There is a statute. There is a state statute that prohibits conversion of lanes, general purpose lanes into HOV lanes.\" He added that interpretations of that statute have changed for subsequent projects, but that when this corridor vision was developed MnDOT did not plan lane conversions and the INFRA applications explicitly sought funding to add E‑ZPass lanes rather than converting existing lanes.

Council members asked whether switching from the proposed added managed lanes to a lane‑conversion approach would cost the project its federal INFRA funding. Letai confirmed the INFRA applications were premised on adding managed lanes and said altering the scope could put that funding at risk.

MnDOT also told the council it is re‑running environmental and traffic forecasts for phase 2. Letai said noise, air quality and greenhouse‑gas analyses will be updated using the latest traffic projections and that results should be available in time for a July work session. He and city staff said MnDOT intends to fold traffic‑management and construction‑staging decisions into the environmental document, with a target of having those planning decisions reflected in the document by December.

City and county staff pressed MnDOT for more detailed staging scenarios that quantify tradeoffs — for example, a three‑year construction window versus accelerated options that rely on full temporary closures to shorten the construction timeline. Letai said the baseline schedule for project construction is 2027–2029 and described a typical three‑year window that often leaves only two seasons for heavy bridge and mainline work because the first season is devoted to utility relocations and temporary widening.

MnDOT said some elements could be accelerated using full closures or accelerated bridge construction techniques but that such options require more analysis of where diverted traffic would travel, whether alternate routes can handle detours, and whether concurrent scheduled work on other corridors (for example Highway 13, Highway 62 and other regional projects) could be staged to reduce network impacts.

Council members asked for clearer, quantitative explanation of MnDOT's air‑quality and greenhouse‑gas findings tied to congestion relief, and MnDOT said it expects to have the specific phase‑2 numbers available by the July work session. The agency repeated that altering the scope of work that the federal INFRA grant funded could jeopardize that funding.

The council did not take any formal votes at the session. MnDOT said it will return with updated traffic, environmental and staging analysis and will hold additional public engagement events prior to advancing construction plans.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Work Session I-494 Phase 2 - May 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Minnesota Department of Transportation officials told the Richfield City Council May 27 that major grants backing a multi‑phase I‑494 corridor vision require the project to keep the currently proposed managed (E‑ZPass) lanes and that changing that design could threaten the funding.","taxTitle","Richfield City, Hennepin County, Minnesota","taxId",55411,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6221018,"Richfield council presses MnDOT on accessibility for Second Avenue pedestrian bridge and ownership questions",608,1476000,2084000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3615215-8e9dbdaef0a3d60083300d8a0e6dbfb8&start=1476&end=2084","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3615215-8e9dbdaef0a3d60083300d8a0e6dbfb8/thumbnail_1476000.jpg","/articles/6221018/Richfield-City/Hennepin-County/Minnesota/Richfield-council-presses-MnDOT-on-accessibility-for-Second-Avenue-pedestrian-bridge-and-ownership-questions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221018-16199e8b51eb8fbea7e6204bd068b95a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770389274&Signature=Z~46BO6SZiQ7q-pzFSydU3LvkKsBFKONsPu~safma6~DykOgzQ1Xr4c~3uO-9OJLE2VkXo3~7jtSTLs6tFMeAvrytbuxIZXXEDJ~Sgx-lf6-NjgJdQ32m8-7vOVtAM0c7XVZl-2ujpqp52ZaF3F2pMJ-iukpB098o1JFtUvP-o67VJNiCg9DwlDHVBbgbSIk29OByoefiH2UVCDzUfGLyX8tzA2Y4uFHIvpJTHA93wV9Op4zn4JFqomXwRP3INRzcSWcYZy2JlfWgnPwMDx4V7ra3f7NzHe7onBGUyvO-pqM48wb9Pmmy5fnM2fssb8GLD4us9afPDeXqMOzRmFUwQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","MnDOT and local officials discussed pedestrian access at a May 27 Richfield City Council work session after project partners decided to prioritize a new Chicago Avenue crossing rather than upgrading the existing Second Avenue pedestrian bridge to modern ADA standards.

Council members said they want clarity about who owns and will maintain the Second Avenue bridge and whether MnDOT or a bridge owner would replace it with an accessible structure at the end of the existing span’s service life. City staff and MnDOT told the council the corridor’s stakeholder committees reviewed multiple crossings and prioritized building a new Chicago Avenue connection; they left the Second Avenue bridge in place because it still had service life and because funds were limited.

MnDOT told the council the EA does not categorically state the existing Second Avenue bridge would be removed. That, the agency said, leaves the door open for future improvements if funding and ownership arrangements allow. MnDOT also said not all pedestrian bridges in the corridor are owned by MnDOT; for example, a regional trail bridge near Twelfth Avenue involves Three Rivers Park District and may have been built with a limited‑use permit.

City staff recalled advocating for Second Avenue improvements in earlier coordination meetings but said the working group was told funding was insufficient. Council members urged MnDOT to provide a stronger, documented commitment — not just verbal assurances — that accessible improvements would be considered or funded when the bridge reaches the end of its service life. MnDOT staff said that future funding, ownership details and the bridge’s condition would determine whether and when a full replacement could occur and that the EA’s current language gives some flexibility for future work.

No formal action or funding commitment was made at the session. Council members asked MnDOT to return with clearer documentation about (1) which crossings are owned by whom, (2) whether the EA contains any binding language about removal or replacement of the Second Avenue bridge, and (3) what options exist for securing funding to make the existing bridge accessible or to guarantee replacement with an accessible structure when the span reaches the end of its service life.","MnDOT and Richfield City staff told the May 27 work session that the project’s stakeholder committees prioritized building a new Chicago Avenue pedestrian crossing instead of upgrading the existing Second Avenue pedestrian bridge, and the council pressed MnDOT for clarity about ownership and a commitment to accessibility at replacement.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6221013,"MnDOT weighs closing Highway 77 bridges to speed I‑494 work; Richfield officials warn of local impacts",1030,2894000,3924000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3615215-8e9dbdaef0a3d60083300d8a0e6dbfb8&start=2894&end=3924","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3615215-8e9dbdaef0a3d60083300d8a0e6dbfb8/thumbnail_2894000.jpg","/articles/6221013/Richfield-City/Hennepin-County/Minnesota/MnDOT-weighs-closing-Highway-77-bridges-to-speed-I494-work-Richfield-officials-warn-of-local-impacts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221013-e65f562a2c29bbf56f00e6c26a76cd67/orig.mp4?Expires=1770389274&Signature=QEP1mFlk701iNITdUzWOPl-mxex24BuD7k1TYNFyNZp24tgoLtjpyJH10lORrFi0Y6mtMUzXDWQ9vNI8crmpWwA8wCFyVOZ0nhEiMczhOHCR-vjsZCXOf-bTgmPDT5McDyAALoLK-u0loZ9kO1aFcSSdq3EVUxEeJXx3vN363j21LCa-KpFNE~PC3L-nEgiUOz8OBPQ2dvyoQ1dzdipxtALFuiw0y2OkwBa1lFVSlHtaVeshwhyr~9g9HfQTwoER9JE~tRfgeycH0DBL23vnLhvl0PaQKg3b9Afcm2K5FHizfY5gUYOzqI~QJ4aXzeaRQsp7b802GB3TM5LekHHX2g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","MnDOT staff told the Richfield City Council on May 27 that one way to shorten construction for the I‑494 corridor work is to use full closures of selected structures — including Highway 77 bridges — and accelerated bridge construction techniques, but they cautioned those options require detailed analysis of local detours and coordination with other regional projects.

Andrew Letai said MnDOT is planning a baseline three‑year construction schedule for project 2 (roughly 2027–2029) but that using full closures and accelerated work could compress the timeline. \"We're starting out, assuming a 3 year, construction window,\" Letai said, adding that the first year typically is used for utility relocations and temporary widening, leaving two seasons for major bridge and mainline work.

MnDOT described specific staging tradeoffs: a two‑season baseline for bridge replacement could be reduced if crews fully close the Highway 77 bridges and accelerate construction, but that would send significant volumes onto alternate routes. Council members and city staff repeatedly asked how detoured traffic would affect local streets such as Nicollet and Portland avenues and raised concerns about concurrent projects (Hennepin County reconstruction on Nicollet, Highway 62 and other nearby corridor projects) that could worsen local congestion if not staggered.

City staff and elected officials requested a detailed comparison of the benefits and impacts of a one‑season accelerated closure versus the baseline multi‑season plan. MnDOT agreed to develop that analysis and present it at the next work session.

MnDOT and county/city staff also discussed near‑term impacts from project 1 construction in Richfield: multiple total weekend closures of I‑494 are already scheduled for the coming weeks (MnDOT said three of the next four weekends would include full shutdowns in parts of Richfield during certain work) and city officials reported heavy local congestion and travel delays on days when local crossings such as Twelfth and Portland were restricted.

County or city staff said that when Portland Avenue bridge work requires demolition the contractor is contractually required to reopen the crossing within 180 days; MnDOT staff said closures of 494 are needed to conduct safe bridge demolition and that advance notice and stronger local communication are needed before weekend shutdowns.

No formal council action was taken. Council members asked MnDOT to return with corridor‑wide staging analyses that include quantitative diversion modeling, a timeline comparison of one‑season versus multi‑season bridge replacement, and coordination plans for concurrent county and regional projects.","MnDOT presented possible use of full closures and accelerated bridge construction May 27 as a way to shorten I‑494 phase‑2 work, but city officials and residents warned detours and overlapping county projects could cause severe local disruption.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

MnDOT seeks Richfield input on I‑494 phase 2, warns federal grant requires E‑ZPass plan

Richfield council presses MnDOT on accessibility for Second Avenue pedestrian bridge and ownership questions

MnDOT weighs closing Highway 77 bridges to speed I‑494 work; Richfield officials warn of local impacts