Bill Would Help Fund New Hwy 169/CR 130 Interchange
At the state Capitol, there are efforts to rebuild a well-traveled bridge over Highway 169 between Maple Grove and Brooklyn Park.
The Highway 169/County Road 130 interchange project is up for possible inclusion in a final budget bill. County Road 130 is also named Elm Creek Boulevard on the Maple Grove side and Brooklyn Boulevard on the Brooklyn Park side.
Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove, introduced the legislation, Senate File 234.
“For too long, this interchange has been forced to handle far more than it was originally designed for,” said Limmer.
His bill seeks to secure more than $12 million for the project.
Maple Grove Mayor Mark Steffenson recently testified on the legislation before Senate Transportation Committee, saying the current interchange is a safety hazard.
“Its current design is deficient with temporary stacked signals, no turn lanes and no bike or pedestrian facilities,” said Steffenson.
The bridge was struck last fall by a truck hauling construction equipment, knocking out chunks of concrete.
A westbound lane of the bridge over 169 has been closed ever since.
Steffenson noted that Maple Grove has secured $7 million from the Metropolitan Council for the project, estimated to cost a total of $19.3 million.
The interchange is a key access point for both Brooklyn Park and Maple Grove. Hennepin Technical College is to the east and Maple Grove’s rapidly developing gravel mining area that includes a new Boston Scientific corporate campus under construction is to the west.
