Plymouth to Make Improvements Along Highway 55 This Summer and Next
The City of Plymouth will undertake a two-year reconstruction of Highway 55 between Revere Lane and West Medicine Lake Road this summer, including a complete closure of the four-lane highway between those two points this road construction season.
The City of Plymouth will start a two-year reconstruction of Highway 55 between Revere Lane and West Medicine Lake Road this summer.
“The frontage roads will still be open, so there will still be access all the time to businesses and residents but there will not be access to this portion to Highway 55,” said Michael Thompson, director of public works for the City of Plymouth. “We are getting the message out that the detour for commuter traffic will be Highway 169, 394, to 494.”
The thrust of the project is to improve the road quality, the intersections, and pedestrian access around the road as the city installs transit stops. The city will construct a pedestrian underpass just east of County Highway 73.
“Really, the hope is to revitalize this entire area, and position ourselves for redevelopment and transit-oriented development,” said Thompson. “We see this as a very critical investment within the city.”
The city received a $15 million federal grant in 2022 and added $5 million in state money to help pay for the project. It also includes an improvement to County 73.
“So, currently Zachary turns into old county 73, and it zigzags and it’s not efficient to connect a major roadway to the highway, so that roadway will be realigned to better match up coming into Highway 55,” said Thompson. “So, this is a multi-pronged effort not just looking at the highway but one issue in the neighborhood. We want to look at this holistically to solve all the problems with one large project.”
The second year of the project, Thompson said, will focus on neighborhood roads and connections with Highway 55.
“This is both highway and local improvements. Fixing traffic, so really improving movement and safety for vehicle drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, so, all modes,” said Thompson. “We are making a concerted effort to beautify the area, invest in the area: specialty street lighting, landscaping, aesthetics.”
The city is working with Hennepin County, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the Three Rivers Parks District, and the Metropolitan Council on these improvements.
