The reopening of Hwy 212 between Hwy 62 and Shady Oak Rd has been pushed back to 3 p.m. on Friday, June 18, the second delay of the week, according to a Southwest Light Rail Project Thursday night announcement. The installation of giant, pre-manufactured bridge beams on concrete piers is a complex operation requiring heavy construction cranes and pinpoint accuracy. After the beams are set on to the piers, minor adjustments are made for spot-on alignments. Detour signs will remain in place until Hwy 212 reopens Friday afternoon. The completed span will carry light rail trains over Highway 212 and…
Author: Jeff Strate
Jeff Strate
An Eden Prairie resident since 1994, Jeff has served as an organizer for local open-space initiatives and get-out-the-vote parks referenda. He has also served on the Eden Prairie Human Rights and Diversity Commission, conservation area task forces, the Southwest Light Rail Community Advisory Committee and the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Land Trust. Jeff studied journalism and mass communication at the U of MN and has been a producer/writer and occasional on-camera figure in the Twin Cities, New York, Boston, and Trenton. Jeff has written for websites and magazines and has produced award-winning access programing through Southwest Community Television (SWTV).
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The closure of westbound and eastbound lanes of Hwy 212 between Highway 62 and Shady Oak Road in Eden Prairie extends through to the morning of Thursday, June 17. The Southwest Light Rail Project issued a notice of the rescheduled work at 5:48 p.m. on Friday June 11, 2021. Construction crews are placing bridge beams on installed piers over Hwy 212 that will join the new bridge over Shady Oak Road in the Golden Triangle. The long span will carry light rail trains. Ramps The notice did not provide the new anticipated closing and reopening times for the eastbound Highway…
You need more space. Whether it is in the garage, the porch, or basement. Space is good, space is, well…spacious. And you don’t need that tired chair, wobbly table, dead lawn mower or the old, rolled-up rug in the basement. They’re not exactly heirlooms. They are clutter. Help arrives on Saturday, June 19 – EP’s Community Drop Off Day. It’s only for Eden Prairie residents and it is our town’s biggest annual disposal event. Drive your stuff to Hennepin Technical College on June 19 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and bid your load “goodbye.” Hennepin Tech’s campus is approached…
The installation of light rail transit bridge beams over Highway 212 north of Shady Oak Road is slated to begin late this Saturday night, June 12. The Southwest Light Rail Transit (SWLRT) project anticipates that Thursday , June 17. Hwy 212 specifics All westbound lanes of Highway 212 between Highway 62 and Shady Oak Road will close Saturday. Eastbound lanes Highway 212 will be closed on Saturday, June 12, mid-afternoon. Ramp closings The on-ramp to eastbound Highway 212 from Valley View Road will be closed from June 12, mid-afternoon through Thursday, June 17. The on-ramp to eastbound Highway 212 from…
Two elder Navy veterans were slowly escorted to chairs under a cobalt clear sky. A bright spring sun warmed their places at the edge of Eden Prairie’s Veterans Memorial. It was Memorial Day, May 31, 2021. Some 250 grownups and children sat on the lush lawn in front of them. Others wandered quietly through the gardens that embrace the handsome memorial. They welcomed the return of their city’s annual veterans remembrance to Purgatory Creek Park. Two years ago, the event was rained out. Last year’s pandemic-careful ceremony was a virtual event via a streaming service. The only apparent change to…
The Southwest Light Rail Project is running two free walking tours of the Southwest Station construction site on Saturday, June 12. Each tour is limited to 15 people. The noon tour has filled, but the 2 p.m. tour may still have openings. A link to the reservation system is provided here. When completed, the expanded station will serve Southwest Transit buses and light rail trains on the Green Line extension. The extension will connect Eden Prairie to Minnetonka, Hopkins, St. Louis Park and Minneapolis. The one hour tours will be led by James Mockovciak, the SWLRT’s community outreach coordinator for…
The Southwest Light Rail Transit (SWLRT) project anticipates road closures and heavy construction work at select sites in Eden Prairie and Minnetonka during the next few weeks. This information was released by the Met Council on Friday May 21. EDEN PRAIRIE The right-turn lane on the eastbound Highway 212 ramp to Prairie Center Drive remains closed. The I-494 off-ramp to Flying Cloud Drive has closed for the 2021 construction season. The I-494 on-ramp from Flying Cloud Drive is expected to remain closed through the summer. A westbound lane closure of I-494 near Flying Cloud Drive in Eden Prairie is anticipated…
Spring cleaning will again be a bit easier in Eden Prairie with a line-up of City of Eden Prairie managed services and events. Residents can wave farewell to lots of unwanted stuff from cut buckthorn and lawn thatch to tired patio chairs, mattresses and dead laptops. The programs are intended to complement commercial haulers during this busy clean-up season. Because each event and service is different, EPLN here provides links and contact numbers for readers to gather more information. SPRING CURBSIDE PICK UP – April 19 through May 14 As tulips pop up, you can leave old appliances, tires, power…
As spring progresses, Southwest Light Rail construction activity will be increasing along the route from Eden Prairie to downtown Minneapolis. A March 9, 2021 Met Council/SWLRT Project news release says that Eden Prairie and Minnetonka motorists can expect the following. In Eden Prairie For the week of April 12, northbound right lanes are closed on Prairie Center Drive from Singletree Lane to Technology Drive. An overnight closure of Prairie Center Drive from Singletree Lane to Technology Drive is anticipated on Wednesday, April 14 from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM on Thursday, April 15. √ The I-494 off-ramp to Flying Cloud…
The Southwest Light Rail Transit project anticipates the full overnight closure of Interstate Highway 494 near Flying Cloud Drive on Thursday, April 8 from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM on Friday, April 9. A SWLRT / Met Council update says that crews will be completing bridge milling and decking work. Eastbound 494 drivers should detour via Highway 212 and Highway 62 to Highway 169. Westbound 494 drivers should take Highway 169 to Highway 62 or Highway 212 for access to local streets. Other SWLRT construction alerts for Eden Prairie √ The I-494 off-ramp to Flying Cloud Drive has closed for…