LRT Regional Trail reopening adjusted again: November?

New signage indicates an expected October reopening of the Minnesota River Bluffs Light Rail Transit (LRT) Regional Trail between Pioneer Trail and Flying Cloud Drive in Chanhassen has been pushed back until December, 2020.

(Oct. 3 EPLN update: However, according to the LRT Regional Trail project manager, Kristine Stehly, construction is planned to “be substantially complete by mid-November,” which corresponds to an update on the project website https://www.hennepin.us/riverbluffstrail )

New signage along the LRT Regional Trail near Lake Riley looking west indicates a change from an October to a December trail reopening.

EPLN has made inquiries and will provide an update on the reasons for the rescheduled reopening as they become available.

Trail repair tie-in to Highway 101 project

(Oct 3 EPLN update: A major project on Highway 101 is also a factor contributing to timing of the LRT repair project. The Highway 101 project is not directly related to the LRT Regional repair.

However, according to Stehly, the Highway 101 Improvements project is concurrently working on a trail bridge over Highway 101. Stehly noted the Highway 101 project, including the trail bridge over Highway 101, is running behind the LRT Regional Trail project.

The previous rustic and unmarked LRT Regional Trail crossing of a winding, two-lane Highway 101 is being replaced by a, as yet not completed, long pedestrian bridge over multiple lanes and a median.

As a result, when the LRT trail repair project is finished, “trail users could pass beyond Pioneer, but would probably get stopped at the bridge (over Highway 101) construction and have to turn around to go all the way back about a mile and a half to Pioneer Trail” noted Stehly.

Stehly noted, a long-established detour is currently in place, however opening up the LRT Regional trail area of repair, but not having the trail bridge over Highway 101 open “might frustrate folks”.

Stehly noted she would be attending an interagency meeting on Oct. 7 to address this issue (EPLN will provide an update). End of Oct 3 update.)

The LRT REgional trail has been closed since 2014 after heavy rains collapsed a section of the railroad embankment. Photos below show the state of work on repairs as of Oct. 2, 2020.

Note: There are two photos of the trail itself 1.) showing a load of stone (with barrier gate). The stones will be moved and used to stabilize the embankment, and 2.) the straight trail pointed west (on the west side of load of stones).

The three additional photos show slope areas, to the south and north of the trail, where crews cut temporary roadways to access the side of the embankment in order to make repairs.