Snelling construction project takes aim

After years of headaches over University Ave., now get ready for Snelling construction

By JANE MCCLURE

Getting around in area neighborhoods will be challenge next year, as the Snelling Ave. bridge replacement and street reconstruction projects will be underway. Work this fall has already snarled traffic on east-west detours and north-south streets, as motorists have been unable to use the Snelling off and on-ramps.

Snelling between Selby Ave.  and Peirce Butler Route will be under construction from May through November 2015. The project includes the Snelling Ave. bridge over Interstate 94, which will close for three months.

Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) officials hope to have the street and the bridge reopened before the start of the 2015 Minnesota State Fair. The project has an estimated $9.5 million cost.

The bridge is currently under lane and ramp restrictions for electrical line work, Kirsten Klein of MnDOT’s public affairs staff said that MnDOT is working to meet with community groups and get the word out about the project. An open house will be held before year’s end.

MnDOT recently sent the St. Paul Department of Public Works its requested detours, which are likely to be Cretin Ave. and Lexington Pkwy.  While there are other north-south routes over and under the freeway, including Fairview, Pascal and Hamline avenues, none of those have full freeway interchanges.

“We know this will have major impacts,” Klein said. MnDOT will work closely with city officials to make sure the impacts are addressed as much as possible.

While the bridge is still considered to be safe, it needs to be replaced, said Klein. It was built in the 1960s when the freeway was built.

Street reconstruction will bring a safer, smoother and longer-lasting Snelling Ave. The street is in a deteriorated condition in places. It will allow for improvements at crosswalks, including new curb cuts in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Drainage improvements will be made.

It will also allow the addition of wider sidewalks on the bridge itself. The bridge will also be more attractive as St. Paul typically adds lantern-style lighting and decorative railings whenever any bridges are rebuilt. This will tie into a current project to make Snelling more walkable.

But it will mean detours, not just for motorists but for those who use public transit. Several bus routes will have to be changed to accommodate the project.

The project will be done in cooperation with Metro Transit and Metropolitan Council as bus stops are rebuilt for the launch of the Snelling bus rapid transit line in late 2015. Bus stops will extend into the street for easier boarding. New, heated stations with ticket kiosks and other amenities will be built. This isn’t part of the $9.5 million street price tag.

Nor is the city’s request for street and bridge improvements included in the project totals. The city wants to add new street lighting, new sidewalks and median landscaping.

Motorists will have to watch for street and land closings next year. Pedestrians will have to be mindful that sidewalks will be closed from time to time. Motorists who use I-94 will have to watch for the weekend when the freeway itself is closed, to allow the bridge deck to be removed. The changes will also affect transit schedules and transit stops, so riders need to watch for updates and changes.

It’s not clear yet how much of the street will be under construction at a time. More will be known as plans are developed and after bids are let.

In September some detours and ramp closures began near the bridge. Xcel Energy has critical sections of its electrical transmission system beneath the bridge. MnDOT recently asked Xcel to relocate the system, which will be moved to a point just east of the bridge. This work involves boring beneath the freeway. According to John Marshall, manager of community relations and economic development for Xcel, the relocation work will be completed by Dec. 23, 2014.

Motorists need to watch for frontage road, ramp and lane closures, Marshall said. He added that Xcel will try to get the work done as quickly as possible.