Southwest Light Rail construction crews return to multiple Eden Prairie and Minnetonka work sites on Monday, Aug. 30. They’ll find conditions variably soggy. Flying Cloud Airport measured 3.1 inches of rain from Aug. 26 through early morning Aug. 29.
Weather permitting, Aug. 30 begins one of the busiest light rail construction weeks in months including two new closures slated for sections of Interstate 494 and Flying Cloud Dr. Directional detour signs will be posted in all construction areas. Visit the SWLRT project website for road closing bulletins and detour maps.
Eden Prairie
MONDAY – Flying Cloud Dr.
Bridge work that was slated for Aug. 27 over Nine Mile Creek and Flying Cloud Dr. south of the dog park was postponed due to rain. Weather permitting, Flying Cloud Dr. will close Monday, Aug. 30 from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. The south access to the Performing Institute of Minnesota Arts High School (PIM) via Valley View Rd. and Flying Cloud Dr. will remain open for local traffic.
THURSDAY – Interstate 494 – full, overnight closure
All lanes of I-494 will close overnight between Highways 169 and 212 on Sept. 2 from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m Sept. 3.
On-going closures
The westbound Hwy. 212 off-ramp to Shady Oak Rd. remains closed through the construction season.
The I-494 off-ramp to Flying Cloud Dr. remains closed for the 2021 construction season.
The Hwy. 62 on-ramp from Shady Oak Rd. remains closed.
Anticipated full closures
West 70th Street – beginning Sept. 6
Installation of train rails and the construction of foundations for the overhead catenary system will close West 70th St. next to the Golden Triangle Station for three to four days beginning Sept. 6. The light rail catenary system powers trains from overhead, electrified cables suspended on towers.
Highway 62
Temporary closures along eastbound Hwy. 62 between Shady Oak Rd. and Hwy. 212 can be expected through mid-September. A full closure of Hwy. 62 is also anticipated for a mid-September weekend.
Lane closures – Flying Cloud Drive
One lane in both directions will remain open on Flying Cloud Dr. between Town Center Place and Valley View Rd. through the summer. Left turns in and out of Technology Dr. at the Flying Cloud Dr. intersection are not allowed through the summer.
Minnetonka
Opus
The City of Minnetonka is reconstructing Bren Road East near the light rail corridor. Motorists on Red Circle Dr. and Bren Road East can temporarily connect with Yellow Circle Dr. During this phase of construction, Yellow Circle Dr. is a two-way road to accommodate local business and through traffic.
The City of Minnetonka is rebuilding the Blue Circle Dr. bridge. The bridge will reopen when work is completed in November.
Smetana Road
Smetana Road from Feltl Road to Nolan Dr. is closed until later this autumn. Local traffic can take a bypass east of the intersection of Smetana and Feltl roads.
This report uses information from a Met Council/SWLRT bulletin released on Aug. 27, 2021.
Questions and comments can be addressed to James Mockovciak, the Southwest LRT community outreach coordinator, at (612) 373-3894 or james.mockovciak@metrotransit.org.
The construction hotline is (612) 373-3933.
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