Weekly Construction Update

Construction hotline

For urgent Southwest LRT construction issues, please call the 24-hour hotline at 612-373-3933 for assistance. Call the hotline for problems such as blocked access to business or residential areas, improper traffic sign placement or parking issues. For general questions or comments about Southwest LRT, contact your Community Outreach Coordinator.

For emergencies, always call 911.

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The Met Council provides information on construction activities every other Friday throughout construction. Subscribe to receive construction activity updates by email or text.

Construction Update: November 19 - December 3, 2021

Holiday work hours

No construction activities will be conducted over Thanksgiving weekend (Thursday through Sunday). However, residents should expect to see crews on site conducting ongoing maintenance and performing security checks. Pumps and generators at established sites will remain active.

If you have any construction-related issues, our 24-hour hotline is fully staffed through the Thanksgiving break to take your questions: 612-373-3933

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Weekly construction photo:

LRT Tunnel Under Highway 62 in Eden Prairie

Crews work to install LRT tracks in the Highway 62 tunnel. With the structure complete crews are working to advance the inside of the tunnel. Instead of ballast rock, inside the tunnel the track is directly affixed to the concrete within the tunnel.

Eden Prairie

There are two Eden Prairie maps with each illustrating where construction crews are working today and approximately through June. General activities are highlighted for your convenience. Please refer to text descriptions in this section for more details on major elements being constructed in specific areas.  

SouthWest Station to Eden Prairie Town Center Station
Construction Overview: At the SouthWest Station we are constructing a new park-and-ride ramp adjacent to the existing ramp and a combined bus and LRT station. Moving east, the Prairie Center Drive LRT Bridge extends from the SouthWest Station area over Technology Drive and Prairie Center Drive. Moving east, LRT will enter the Eden Prairie Town Center Station area.
 
LRT Bridge at I-494 to Shady Oak Road
Construction Overview: In this portion of Eden Prairie, an LRT bridge will cross over I-494, parallel to Flying Cloud Drive; this bridge is almost complete. Flying Cloud Drive is being reconstructed and LRT track installed. LRT will travel on bridges over Flying Cloud Drive and Nine Mile Creek. The Golden Triangle Station is being constructed as well as an LRT bridge over Shady Oak Road and Highway 212.
 
Upcoming or Recently Completed
  • The far-right turn lane of the eastbound Highway 212 off-ramp to Prairie Center Drive is expected to reopen before Thanksgiving. This lane has been closed for the past two years.
  • Track will be installed across the new entrance to Redstone American Grill from 10:00 PM Sunday night, November 21 through 11:00 AM Monday morning, November 22. Expect short delays in-and-out of the area during these hours.
  • Road striping will continue along Flying Cloud Drive, Technology Drive, and Town Center Place through this weekend. Expect shifting lanes and temporary lane closures. Following these activities all lanes along Flying Cloud Drive from Valley View Road to Town Center Place will reopen before Thanksgiving. The I-494 off-ramp to Flying Cloud Drive will also reopen at that time. Work will continue in the new LRT guideway. We want to thank area residents and businesses for their flexibility and patience through these multiple phases of work; from utility reconstruction, to building a new LRT bridge to placing track.
Ongoing:
  • The westbound Highway 212 off-ramp to Shady Oak Road will remain closed into the winter season.

Minnetonka

This Minnetonka map illustrates where construction crews are working today and approximately through April. General activities are highlighted for your convenience. Please refer to text descriptions in this section for more details on major elements being constructed in specific areas.   

City West Station in Eden Prairie to Shady Oak Station in Hopkins
Construction Overview: The City West Station area continues with preparation work for retaining walls. Major elements in this segment include an LRT tunnel under Highway 62, the Opus Station, many large retaining walls, the Smetana/Feltl roadway bridges over LRT and the Hopkins/Minnetonka LRT Bridge ending at the Shady Oak Road Station. 
 
Upcoming or Recently Completed
  • Red Circle Drive into Opus Park from Shady Oak Road will reopen to two-lane traffic along Highway 62.
  • Bren Road West will reopen to two-lane traffic near the LRT corridor by the end of the year.
Ongoing:
  • Red Circle Drive remains closed to westbound traffic near the Yellow Brick Road Preschool as the second phase of the nearby pedestrian underpass construction begins. Drivers exiting Opus Park along Bren Road East can access Red Circle Drive and Shady Oak Road. Yellow Circle Drive is configured as a two-way road during this phase of construction to accommodate through traffic and local businesses. See Minnetonka detour maps .
  • The westbound lane on Green Circle Drive near the Bren Road West intersection is closed until spring 2022.
  • The City of Minnetonka has closed Blue Circle Drive to reconstruct a bridge. This work is anticipated to continue through November. See Minnetonka detour maps .
  • Feltl Road is closed through Summer 2022. See Minnetonka detour maps .
  • Crews continue to work on the Minnetonka-Hopkins LRT bridge.

Hopkins

This Hopkins map illustrates where construction crews are working today and approximately through April. General activities are highlighted for your convenience. Please refer to text descriptions in this section for more details on major elements being constructed in specific areas. 

Shady Oak Road Station to Blake Road Station
Construction Overview: There are three stations in Hopkins: Shady Oak Road, Downtown Hopkins and Blake Road. Major structures in Hopkins include an LRT bridge over Excelsior and a regional trail underpass at Blake Road. In addition to LRT track construction there is also freight rail and regional trail work in the area. There are multiple LRT and freight railroad crossings at roadways.
 
Upcoming or Recently Completed
  • All lanes of Excelsior Boulevard at the site of the LRT bridge construction have reopened.
  • 8th Avenue between Excelsior Boulevard and the Hopkins Honda dealership has reopened now that final paving work is complete.  
  • Blake Road between 2nd Street NE and Excelsior Boulevard will be open to two-way traffic later today, Friday, November 19. Crews will advance retaining wall work through the winter.  
Ongoing:
  • Downtown Hopkins Stations remains under construction through the winter.

St. Louis Park

This St. Louis Park map illustrates where construction crews are working today and approximately through April. General activities are highlighted for your convenience. Please refer to text descriptions in this section for more details on major elements being constructed in specific areas. 
 
Construction Overview: Like in Hopkins, the project includes the construction of LRT track, freight rail track, and the regional trail.  There are also three stations in St. Louis Park: Louisiana Avenue, Wooddale Avenue and Beltline Boulevard. Structures in this area include LRT and freight rail bridges over Louisiana Avenue, a connection between freight lines, a pedestrian/trail underpass east of Louisiana Avenue, freight, LRT and trail bridges over Minnehaha Creek, a regional trail underpass at Wooddale Avenue, freight, LRT and trail bridges over Highway 100 and a regional trail bridge crossing over Beltline Boulevard.
 
Upcoming or Recently Completed
 
  • Starting November 19, the western sidewalk along Louisiana Avenue South between West Lake Street and Oxford Street will be closed for the winter to advance bridge construction. Please use the sidewalk on the east side of Louisiana.
  • Crews will be setting bridge beams at the intersection of Oxford Street and Edgewood Avenue on Tuesday, November 23. Expect intermittent lane closures.
Ongoing:
  • Crews are advancing construction of the LRT bridge over Minnehaha Creek.
  • Crews continue to advance the freight rail connection and prep for LRT tracks in the Louisiana Avenue Station area. Sheet piling is expected.

Minneapolis

There are five Minneapolis maps with each illustrating where construction crews are working today and approximately through April. General activities are highlighted for your convenience. Please refer to text descriptions in this section for more details on major elements being constructed in specific areas. 
 
 
Chowen Avenue to Cedar Lake Parkway  
Construction Overview:  In addition to the West Lake Street Station, crews will be reconstructing the Chowen/Abbott roadway connection. The LRT tunnel is being constructed in this area, running between the West Lake Street Station and the Cedar Lake Channel. To complete work in this area there is also freight rail infrastructure and trail facilities.  
 
Upcoming or Recently Completed
  • Paving for an access road to the West Lake Quarter development from Chowen Avenue was completed on Tuesday, November 16.
  • The fifth tremie seal concrete pour for the Kenilworth LRT tunnel was completed on Thursday, November 18.
Ongoing:
  • The West Lake Station area continues to see construction traffic in and out of the site via Abbott Avenue. Utility work near the station is expected to continue through winter 2021.
  • Construction of the secant wall has started. Activities include drilling three-foot diameter holes and pumping concrete into the holes to form columns. Noise will result primarily from equipment engines and pumps, as well as the drill rig. Brief vibrations may be noticeable.
  • The Kenilworth LRT tunnel site is active. Concrete work and excavation activities are constant between West Lake Street and Cedar Lake Parkway.
Cedar Lake Parkway to Burnham Road
Construction Overview:  The LRT tunnel continues in this segment. Other elements include the construction of retaining walls (complete), and freight, LRT and trail bridges over the Cedar Lake Channel.    
 
Ongoing
  • The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has closed the Cedar Lake Channel for the fall season to conduct shoreline stabilization and naturalization work between Cedar Lake Parkway and the Burnham Road bridge. LRT bridge construction over the Cedar Lake Channel is ongoing.
Construction Overview:  In addition to the LRT, freight rail and trail construction, this area has two stations: West 21st Street and Bryn Mawr. The Bryn Mawr Station includes a pedestrian bridge that will extend over the freight tracks from the bluffs to the station platform. 
 
Current activities to expect in this area:
  • Construction at Bryn Mawr Station is continuing with excavation and pile installation to construct the pedestrian bridge. Retaining wall work on the bluff south of Wayzata Boulevard and Penn Avenue is underway. Expect piling in the area.
Bryn Mawr Station to Bassett Creek Valley Station Area
Construction Overview:  There are two stations serving residents in this area; Bryn Mawr Station and the Bassett Creek Valley Station. In addition, area construction includes LRT track, trails and the corridor protection wall. 
 
Current activities to expect in this area:
  • Crews continue to build the corridor protection wall between Glenwood Avenue and Highway I-394, including work on Saturdays.
Glenwood Avenue to Target Field Station
Construction Overview:  LRT will cross a new Glenwood Avenue bridge at the roadway grade. To make that happen three bridges need to be constructed, freight rail shifted, and extensive retaining walls built. This area will see the development of the Royalston Avenue/Farmer’s Market Station, an LRT bridge crossing over North 5th Avenue and North 7th Street and LRT connecting to the Target Field Station. The Holden/Royalston/Border roadway loop will also be reconstructed with improvements.
 
Current activities to expect in this area:
  • Crews continue to build the corridor protection wall between Glenwood Avenue and Highway I-394, including work on Saturdays.
  • Glenwood Avenue between Lyndale Avenue North and North 12th Street remains closed. See Minneapolis detour map
  • Bridge pier work near 7th and 6th Avenues continues. This work entails high-vibration activities for sheeting installation and pile driving. This work is expected to continue through the winter. Expect temporary lane closures on eastbound 6th Avenue.

Regional Trails


Opus Area in Minnetonka
  • Various trails within the Opus area are closed as crews work to advance many project elements.
Minnesota River Bluffs Regional Trail
  • The Minnesota River Bluffs Regional Trail in Hopkins is closed between Shady Oak Road and 5th Avenue South. See detour map here.
  • The section between Shady Oak Road and 11th Avenue South is closed due to storm sewer construction activities. This portion of the trail is closed until 2022. 
  • The section between 11th Avenue South and 5th Avenue South is closed until 2022.
 
South Cedar Lake LRT Trail
The South Cedar Lake Trail from just east of the North Cedar Lake Trail connection in Hopkins to France Avenue in St. Louis Park is closed until 2022. The South Cedar Lake Trail will remain open between France Avenue in St. Louis Park and Kenilworth Trail/Midtown Greenway intersection in Minneapolis. The Midtown Greenway will remain open. Currently, cross streets remain open to automobiles, bikers and pedestrians. See detour maps here.
 
Kenilworth Trail Closure
The Kenilworth Trail is closed in Minneapolis at the intersection with the Midtown Greenway to just south of West 21st Street. We are currently assessing the tunnel schedule which impacts the opening of this trail segment and we will provide an update when the schedule is known. Access for automobiles, bikers and pedestrians remains open at Cedar Lake Parkway and at West 21st Street. See detour map here.
 
North Cedar Lake Trail in Minneapolis
The North Cedar Lake Trail in Minneapolis from Linden Yards located west of Van White Boulevard to east of Royalston Avenue is now anticipated to be closed until 2022. See detour maps here.
 
Please note, construction vehicles cross the trail as they enter and exit staging areas. Construction vehicles yield to trail users but please be aware that you may encounter construction traffic in this area.