MnDOT Seeks Input for I-694 Improvements

If you have ever driven Interstate 694 through Brooklyn Center and the north metro, you know how congested traffic can be. 

Now, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is seeking your input to make improvements.

Specifically, MnDOT is gathering feedback on a nine-mile stretch between Brooklyn Boulevard in Brooklyn Center and Lexington Avenue in Arden Hills.

More than 150,000 drivers use that stretch of highway every day. MnDOT said traffic congestion can sometimes last up to seven hours on a busy weekday when drivers are unable to travel highway speeds, particularly around the junction with Highway 252.

“I’m also hearing from people who say they actively plan their day around 694, most of the time that’s avoiding it,” said Mai Xiong, transportation planner with MnDOT.

And it’s not just congestion. It’s crashes, too. About 4,500 accidents occurred on the busy stretch between 2021 and 2025, according to MnDOT statistics.

A significant portion of the I-694 stretch being studied was originally built in the 1940s. It last received upgrades in 2013, said Xiong.

While future improvements are still a ways off — work isn’t scheduled to start until 2033 — MnDOT said input now will help shape the project.

“The input we’re going to hear from the community right now is going to help inform short-term improvements as well as long-term improvements, over the next 20 years,” said Xiong. “So we want to hear about all your experiences. I think the first thing that comes to mind is the driving experience. But we want to hear from all people who are using all modes of travel.”

MnDOT has an online survey to receive input through Aug. 18. Those who bike or walk on crossing roads are also welcome to give input.

The public can also provide comments during a virtual meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 5:30 p.m.

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