Construction Prompts Detours on Theodore Wirth Parkway

A long overdue repaving project on a stretch of road where Minneapolis borders Golden Valley kicked off on July 6.

It’s the first time any major work has been done on the stretch of Theodore Wirth Parkway between Golden Valley Road and 29th Avenue North for more than 50 years.

“The city of Minneapolis and the Park Board have 55 miles of parkway, and at best, we’re able to resurface one mile a year,” said Dan Elias, design project manager with the Minneapolis Park and Rec Board. “So as you can imagine, it’ll take us about 55 years to get through all the parkways, and a typical pavement section will really only last 15-25 years.”

The road was notorious for having bumps, cracks and uneven pavement caused by normal wear and tear, soil conditions below the surface, and bus traffic.

Work on this stretch of road will last for the next four weeks.

Crews will spend four weeks repaving Theodore Wirth Parkway from Golden Valley Road to 29th Avenue North.

The park board is asking drivers to use nearby Penn Avenue in Minneapolis as a detour.

“For the vehicle traffic, it is a bit of a headache until the project’s done, and once it’s done, we’re out of here and you guys have a nice parkway to drive on,” Elias said.

Meanwhile, crews will repave the parkway between the railroad bridge and Plymouth Ave N later this year. In 2021, crews will repave the sections between Golden Valley Road and Plymouth Avenue and from the railroad bridge south to Hwy. 55.

For more information on the construction, you can go to the city of Minneapolis website.

Golden Valley