Engineering Links
Major Construction Projects
The Engineering Division coordinates most infrastructure construction projects. Engineering uses RT Vision - One Office public dashboard and ConneX to provide information about City projects in the planning stage, bidding documents and project management information.
Active project-sites map
Most current large- and small-scale road construction projects in Bloomington are displayed on the map below. You can zoom in and out, and click on a project (shown as red shapes on the map) for information about a project.
You may also use E-Subscribe to have project updates sent to you via email.
Pavement Management Program (PMP)
Curious about a local road construction project not listed on this page? It may be part of the City's Pavement Management Program, a systematic program of street rehabilitation and repair that ensures serviceable, safe roads at a reasonable cost.
Tips for Safely Maneuvering through Road Construction
The City offers these helpful reminders in dealing with Bloomington construction projects:
- Please observe posted detour and/or warning signs.
- Stay alert.
- Watch for signs, equipment and workers.
- Minimize distractions such as using cell phones, eating or drinking.
- Avoid tailgating.
- Follow posted speed limits.
- Stay in one lane while driving through a work zone.
Work zones can be danger zones if drivers don't use caution and good judgment. Driving too fast, not paying attention, following too closely and stopping suddenly are the major causes of crashes in work zones. Most people who are killed or injured in work zones are in vehicles passing through the work area.
Road Closures
Major City Projects
- Project map
- The project will be funded by South Loop Development Funds.
- Phase 1, which includes East Old Shakopee Road and 28th Avenue is anticipated to complete design in early 2021 and construction will begin in the Spring of 2021, completing in the Fall of 2021.
Based on the current and projected development in the South Loop District, it has been determined that a sanitary sewer upgrade is necessary to increase the capacity in the area to allow for the increase in flow. This project is intended to re-direct sanitary sewer flows away from the existing route on 24th Avenue, which has capacity constraints, and re-direct the flow south in a new sanitary sewer pipe on 28th Avenue from American Boulevard, and then west on East Old Shakopee Road.
Therefore, this project would include the installation of a new sanitary sewer pipe along 28th Avenue and a small segment of East Old Shakopee Road. The new pipe would connect into the existing sanitary sewer pipe on American Boulevard, just east of 28th Avenue, head south on 28th Avenue and west on East Old Shakopee Road, connecting into an existing line that was previously upgraded on East Old Shakopee Road, just west of 28th Avenue.
This sanitary sewer work will be completed with a combination of trenchless and open trench techniques.
The sanitary sewer installation near the intersection of 82nd Street and 28th Avenue will need to be completed by trenchless installation under the existing LRT tracks.
The first phase of sanitary sewer capacity improvements in the area includes the work described above on 28th Avenue and East Old Shakopee Road. This would be followed by the second phase of improvements in the area including the American Boulevard Sanitary Sewer Capacity Improvement Project, anticipated to occur in 2022. This sanitary sewer improvement would include American Boulevard from 28th Avenue to just east of 34th Avenue.
Updates
July 23, 2021
The Contractor will be starting sanitary sewer installation on East Old Shakopee Road late in the week of July 19. East Old Shakopee Road from 24th Avenue to 28th Avenue along with southbound 28th Avenue from Lindau Lane to East Old Shakopee Road are currently closed.
July 16, 2021
Construction has started and East Old Shakopee Road from 24th Avenue to 28th Avenue is currently closed along with southbound 28th Avenue Lindau Lane to East Old Shakopee Road. The Contractor is completing pavement removals and setting up dewatering in the area. Pipe installation is anticipated to begin on East Old Shakopee Road the week of July 19.
What is the scope of this project?
The scope of this project includes the reconstruction of W. 106th Street between Lyndale Avenue and Verdi Road to be completed in 2021. As this area has undergone several years of adjacent projects, the goal of the 106th Street Project is to reconstruct this section of road in a manner that will integrate design elements from all of the recent projects.
Beginning with the MnDOT 35W River Bridge Project, the design and construction of the new bridge over W. 106th Street was coordinated with the City to accommodate this proposed project. The underpass of the bridge is significant as it was built to a wider span that will not only increase pedestrian and motorist safety, but will also facilitate a new road section that will include four lanes of travel, two shoulders, a median, and boulevard separated trails on both sides of W. 106th Street. The connection to on-ramps and off-ramps for 35W have also been coordinated with the 106th Street Project.
Within the project area, there are three frontage road segments that currently connect into W. 106th Street, which include; East Bloomington Freeway, West Bloomington Freeway and River Terrace. In advance of the 106th Street Project, West Bloomington Freeway and River Terrace will be closed permanently to vehicle traffic, though pedestrian access will be maintained with the use of new trail segments and existing sidewalk. The decision to close River Terrace and West Bloomington Freeway at W. 106th Street was reviewed and approved by City Council in November 2019.
For West Bloomington Freeway, the road will be closed at W. 106th Street with the construction of a cul-de-sac north of W. 106th Street. The cul-de-sac will be constructed to allow for emergency services and maintenance activities, as the West Bloomington Freeway corridor is MnDOT Right of Way, the project will coordinate and construct a dry pond to help manage stormwater runoff and water quality efforts for a future MnDOT project.
For River Terrace, the closure of River Terrace took place in the Fall of 2020 with the reconstruction of River Terrace as part of the 2020-101 PMP Street Improvement Project. The 2020 PMP Project will maintain pedestrian access to W. 106th Street through the construction of a new trail segment. The trail will then make a final connection to W. 106th Street with the coming project. Storm water runoff management and water quality improvement efforts have also been designed for the closure area on River Terrace.
The frontage road of East Bloomington Freeway is currently being reconstructed as part of the 2018-201 East Bloomington Freeway Improvement Project, and will include construction of a new multi-modal trail that will connect pedestrians from W. 106th Street to W. 99th Street. At the East Bloomington Freeway intersection, the 106th Street Project will finalize the road and trail connections and include a new traffic signal to ensure that the signal and its components are not in conflict with the new road and trail alignments.
Following the conclusion of the 106th Street Project, a final touch to the area will be applied through a creative placemaking project that will look to incorporate the character of the area. The creative placemaking process is currently underway and is being coordinated with the design and construction of the 106th Street Project.
How is the project funded?
The project will be funded using MnDOT Municipal State Aid funds.
What is the project schedule?
The project is anticipated to complete design in Spring 2021 with construction to begin in late summer 2021 and complete in 2022.
Updates
July 16, 2021
W 106th St (from Verdi Rd to Lyndale Ave S)
CenterPoint Energy will continue gas main installation the week of July 19. The Pre-Construction meeting for the W 106th Street Improvement Project is anticipated to occur in early August. More information will be given when a schedule has been determined for the start of construction.
October 9, 2020
An informational open house was held Wednesday, October 7, from 5:00 – 6:00 PM outside of the south entrance to Oak Grove Middle School. Staff presented exhibit showing concepts for the 106th Street Project. The pop up meeting adhered to a COVID-19 safety measures such as social distancing, one way flow, use of masks, and sanitizing gel and wipes. A total of twenty-six people signed in over the course of the hour. Attendees were provided exhibits detailing the scope of the project and were able to ask questions about all of the recent projects in the area.
October 2, 2020
Invitations to an informational open house were sent to residents in the area. The informational open house is scheduled for Wednesday, October 7 from 5:00 – 6:00 PM outside of the south entrance to Oak Grove Middle School.
Projects in the area:
What is the scope of this project?
This bridge preservation project will repair, maintain and extend the life span of four bridges in Bloomington. These four bridges include the American Boulevard Bridge over Highway 100 (Bridge # 27647), Auto Club Bridge (Bridge #27563) and both the Traffic Bridge (Bridge #27552) and Pedestrian Bridge at 106th Street over Nine Mile Creek (Bridge #27698).
MnDOT certified Bloomington city staff conducts routine inspections of all four bridges as part of a required 24-month frequency inspection. During these routine inspections, staff has determined that these four bridges will require further evaluation and preservation to continue to protect them and cost effectively extend their life span. This project is not intended to replace the bridges, but rather to include items of preventative maintenance and preservation to extend the life of the bridges. This evaluation and design will completed by a structural engineering consultant in cooperation with City staff.
How is the project funded?
The project will be funded by Municipal State Aid funds.
What is the project schedule?
Bridge evaluation and design will continue through 2020. It is anticipated that design will complete by early 2021 and construction will begin in the Spring of 2021 and complete by the Fall of 2021.
Updates
July 23, 2021
Painting of the American Boulevard bridge is anticipated to complete the week of July 26. Normandale Boulevard and Normandale Service Road have been re-opened to traffic. Painting of the Auto Club Road and W 106th Street bridges will begin when the American Boulevard bridge is complete. This work will be done under lane closures.
July 16, 2021
Painting of the American Boulevard bridge continues. Normandale Service Road underneath the American Boulevard bridge is currently closed and will remain closed until the week of July 19. Normandale Boulevard from 84th Street to I-494 will be closed on Friday, July 16 at 10pm until Monday, July 19 at 5am to allow for painting of the portion of the bridge over Normandale Boulevard. Painting of the Auto Club Road and W 106th Street bridges is anticipated to follow after the American Boulevard bridge painting is complete.
May 27, 2021
The second phase of concrete and bridge joint work has started on both the American Boulevard and Auto Club Road Bridges; one lane of traffic in both directions will remain open. This phase is anticipated to last until mid-late June. The Contractor anticipates starting work on the West 106th Street traffic and pedestrian bridges over Nine Mile Creek in early June.
May 13, 2021
Concrete and bridge joint work has started on the first phase of the Auto Club Road Bridge. Traffic has been shifted to one lane in both directions on the north side of the bridge. Work also continues on the south side of the American Boulevard bridge.
May 6, 2021
Concrete, asphalt and bridge joint work has started and will continue on the south side of the American Boulevard Bridge over Hwy 100 over the next 4-6 weeks. Traffic has been shifted to one lane in both directions on the north side of the bridge. The Contractor anticipates starting on the first phase of work on the Auto Club Road Bridge in mid-May. Traffic will be shifted to one lane in both directions when this work begins.
April 29, 2021
The Contractor is scheduled to begin concrete, asphalt and bridge joint work on the American Boulevard Bridge over Hwy 100 the week of May 3. This bridge work will be completed in two phases, with phase one including the south side of the bridge. Traffic will be shifted to one lane in both directions on the north side of the bridge for the first phase and each phase is anticipated to take approximately 6-8 weeks to complete.
Interstate projects
Scope
The scope of this project includes reconstruction of the East Bloomington Freeway from W. 106th Street to W. 99th Street and the construction of a sidewalk along the eastside. The road would remain as a one way at a reduced width to accommodate construction of a sidewalk. Work in the area will continue to be coordinated with MnDOT and Metro Transit Projects on W. 106th Street and W. 99th Street.
Virtual Open House
Display boards prepared for the project's open house
Updates
June 4, 2021
East Bloomington Freeway (W. 106th Street to W. 99th Street)
Grading of the trail base will continue into the week of April 26 and will be followed by paving of the trail area. Trail paving will also be followed by ditch grading and boulevard electrical work.
May 28, 2021
East Bloomington Freeway (W. 106th Street to W. 99th Street)
Concrete work for the area was completed the week of May 24. Boulevard grading and restoration of the area were delayed by rain and will continue into the week of May 31.
May 13, 2021
East Bloomington Freeway (W. 106th Street to W. 99th Street)
Trail paving is completed and boulevard restoration will continue the week of May 17.
April 23, 2021
East Bloomington Freeway (W. 106th Street to W. 99th Street)
Grading of the trail base will continue into the week of April 26 and will be followed by paving of the trail area. Trail paving will also be followed by ditch grading and boulevard electrical work.
April 16, 2021
East Bloomington Freeway (W. 106th Street to W. 99th Street)
Clean up and grading of the ditch and trail areas are scheduled to resume on Tuesday, April 20. Adjacent properties have been notified of the upcoming work.
From MnDOT:
The 2020 Hwy 77 Congestion Mitigation Study intends to identify potential congestion mitigation improvements for Hwy 77. The study will take updated origin-destination data, traffic volumes and travel trends, and pair the updated traffic information with planned improvements on I-494, and improvements on I-35W. The Study will identify viable short, medium and long term improvements and develop an implementation plan for identified improvements.
- Visit MnDOT's website for project info
Scope
MnDOT has begun construction of the I-35W Minnesota River Bridge project. This project will:
- Reconstruct I-35W Bridge spanning the Minnesota River
- Reconstruct I-35W Bridge spanning W 106th Street
- Replace pavement from Cliff Road to W 106th Street
- Construct northbound auxiliary/truck lane between Cliff Road and W 106th Street
- Construct a pedestrian/bike trail along the east side of the river bridge and connect to Black Dog Road and Lyndale Avenue
- Improve signing, lighting and drainage
Anticipated traffic impacts
Throughout the project MnDOT, is planning to maintain two to three lanes of traffic in each direction on I-35W, with a limited number of weekend closures.
MnDOT will be closing the southbound I-35W entrance ramp at W 106th Street in early October, and this ramp is expected to remain closed for most of the project. The northbound exit ramp at W 106th Street will also be closed during some portions of the construction.
Throughout the project, there will be construction traffic accessing the job trailer and work area on the north side of the river via I-35W to W 106th Street to Lyndale Avenue. While precautions will be taken to minimize the impacts of this traffic, please proceed with care when accessing businesses, neighborhoods, the boat landing and the trailheads in this area.
Funding
This is a MnDOT project with an estimated construction cost of $127 million.
Schedule
The construction began on August 20, 2018 and is expected to be completed in late 2021.
Updates
For additional project information and updates, please visit the MnDOT I-35W Minnesota River Bridge project website
Scope
MnDOT and its partners are working to plan and construct improvements on the I-494 corridor that travels through the cities of Bloomington, Richfield, Eden Prairie and Edina.
Funding
The corridor study and planning is being conducted and paid by MnDOT. In 2018, Corridors of Commerce, a state road improvement grant program, awarded the project $134 million to introduce MnPASS lanes from eastbound from France Avenue to Hwy 77 and westbound from Hwy 77 to I-35W. An additional $70 million was awarded to construct a directional ramp for northbound I-35W to westbound I-494 traffic.
Schedule
The corridor study began in June 2018. The project study, alternative analysis, and environmental assessment is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019. Final design and right-of-way acquisition to be completed by the end of 2021.
Construction of Highway Expansion Project to take place between January 2022 and December 2023, with the possibility of some of the work being advanced to earlier years.
- For detailed project information, please visit the MnDOT project website.
Scope
The METRO Orange Line is a 17-mile planned highway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line that will connect Minneapolis, Richfield, Bloomington, and Burnsville along I-35W. The Orange Line will provide frequent, all-day service in both directions, seven days a week.
A transitway will be built along Knox Avenue S, beneath I-494, to connect the Knox Avenue S and West 76th Street and Knox Avenue S and American Boulevard stations. Along with transit-only lanes, the Knox Avenue S Transitway will include a multi-use trail for pedestrians and bicyclists. The Knox Avenue S Transitway will make the trip between I-35W & W 98th St and I-35W & W 66th St stations 45-55 percent faster than current conditions on the Route 535.
Traffic impacts
The contractor will be utilizing temporary bypasses on I-494 to construct the underground transitway in two phases in 2020 and 2021. In order build the bypasses, the contractor will be utilizing temporary lane and ramp closures of I-494 in 2019.
Southtown Boulevard north of American Boulevard will be closed to thru traffic for the duration of the project. The private road north of American Blvd & Knox Ave S will be closed to thru traffic. Access to local business will remain open at all times.
Funding
Funding commitments for the Orange Line have been provided by the Counties Transit Improvement Board, the State of Minnesota, the Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County, Dakota County, and the Federal government. The estimated construction cost for the entire Orange Line BRT transit project is $150.7 million.
Schedule
The contractor will spend the remainder of 2019 relocating utilities and building the bypass on I-494. The underground transitway tunnel construction will begin in 2020 and finish in 2021. Fare service on the METRO Orange is scheduled to begin in 2021.
Updates
For additional project information and updates, please visit the METRO Orange Line website and subscribe to their construction bulletin.
Uncategorized major projects
Since 2013, CenterPoint Energy has conducted a multi-year construction project to replace and rehabilitate approximately 80 miles of 20" and 24" steel pipe that supplies natural gas to thousands of homes and businesses in the metro area. This construction project is needed to help increase reliability and safety and is part of CenterPoint Energy's standard maintenance and upkeep of the system.
From April to November 2021, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors will work in Bloomington along Penn Avenue from 98th Street to Interstate 494. This project will happen in four phases:
- Phase 1: Michels Corporation will replace the first of the project’s two natural gas mains. This main is a distribution main that will feed the natural gas service lines to homes and businesses.
- Phase 2: Michels Corporation will connect the service lines to the distribution main.
- Phase 3: CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor will replace the second main. This main is a transmission main that will feed the distribution main.
- Phase 4: Q3 Contracting will restore the areas affected by work on the natural gas lines.
Additional information can be found on CenterPoint Energy's construction web page.
Updates
Project design and construction updates will be provided via this webpage (below), E-Subscribe and direct mailings to property owners near to the project.
July 23, 2021
Transmission gas main installation continues to head north of 86th Street on Penn Avenue and 86th Street will remain closed on the east side of Penn Avenue until the end of July or the first week of August. The Contractor will have another crew moving up to 79th Street on Penn Avenue late in the week of July 26. 79th Street access on the west side of Penn Avenue will be closed from July 30 – August 3 as work progresses through that intersection.
July 16, 2021
Transmission gas main installation continues to head north of 86th Street and 86th Street will remain closed on the east side of Penn Avenue until the end of July. The Contractor will continue to restore the pavement between 90th Street and 86th Street the week of July 19.
May 27, 2021
Westbound 86th Street at Penn Avenue was re-opened to traffic on May 25. Distribution gas main installation on Penn Avenue is anticipated to reach 90th Street the week of May 31. Lane closures along with truck turn restrictions will be in place in the intersection of 90th Street and Penn Avenue starting early in the week of May 31.
May 21, 2021
Westbound 86th Street will be closed on the east side of Penn Avenue early in the week of May 24 for gas main installation, and is anticipated to re-open within 1-2 days. A detour will be provided. The installation of distribution gas main and services will continue between 86th Street and 90th Street the week of May 24.
May 13, 2021
88th Street between Queen Avenue and Penn Avenue along with westbound 90th Street between Penn Avenue and Queen Avenue will reopen late in the week of May 10, or early the week of May 17 after restoration is completed. Work will also continue to head south on Penn Avenue towards 86th Street the week of May 17.
May 6, 2021
88th Street between Queen Avenue and Penn Avenue along with westbound 90th Street between Penn Avenue and Queen Avenue are anticipated to reopen late in the week of May 10 after work has completed on Penn Avenue in these locations. Work continues in the area of American Boulevard and Penn Avenue and will also continue to head south of Dixon Drive on Penn Avenue the week of May 10.
April 29, 2021
Work continues near the intersection of American Blvd and Penn Avenue and will begin heading south on Penn Avenue late in the week of May 3. A gas main crew is also working between 90th Street and 88th Street on Queen Avenue and Penn Avenue. This work requires lane closures on Penn Avenue and Queen Avenue, while 88th Street is currently closed between Penn Avenue and Queen Avenue with a detour provided. 88th Street is anticipated to reopen late in the week of May 3.
April 22, 2021
The distribution gas main replacement began on April 16 and is concentrated near the intersection of Penn Avenue and American Boulevard for the first couple of weeks, which is different than the original plan of starting near 86th Street. Distribution gas main replacement will continue to head south on Penn Avenue over the next 1-2 months. Lane closures will be utilized on Penn Avenue as work progresses and updates will be given of any side street closures that will be needed as work progresses south.
April 8, 2021
The distribution gas main work for this project is scheduled to start the week of April 12. This work will start at 86th Street on Penn Avenue and work to the north on Penn Avenue toward I-494. Traffic will be shifted to the west side of the road, with one lane in both directions as work progresses north on Penn Avenue.
February 26, 2021
A virtual informational meeting was held by CenterPoint Energy on Tuesday, February 23 at 6pm to review the 2021 CenterPoint Energy Penn Avenue Beltline Project. There were four property owners in total that attended the meeting. City of Bloomington and Hennepin County staff were also present at the meeting This project will include the replacement of an existing 24” transmission gas main along Penn Avenue from just north of 98th Street up to I-494, with other smaller distribution gas main work.
The distribution gas main work is anticipated to begin in April 2021, with the larger transmission gas main work starting in early June 2021. The slides from the informational meeting presentation are available on CenterPoint Energy’s construction site at CenterPointEnergy.com/Construction select, “Minnesota”, then click on “Project Sites” and select “Bloomington” to find the Penn Avenue Beltline Project. More information regarding the construction schedule will be given as the construction season nears.
February 11, 2021
CenterPoint Energy will be back in Bloomington this year to continue work on their multi-year Beltline project. This multi-year project began in 2013 and has been replacing and rehabilitating many miles of transmission gas lines throughout the metro area. The location within Bloomington in 2021 includes Penn Avenue from just north of 98th Street up to I-494. This project will include the replacement of an existing 24” transmission gas main along with other smaller distribution gas main work and is anticipated to begin in April of 2021.
CenterPoint Energy will be hosting a virtual informational meeting on Tuesday, February 23 starting at 6:00pm, which will include a short presentation, followed by a Q&A session with staff. CenterPoint Energy sent notices for the informational meeting earlier this week to adjacent property owners. More information can be found on CenterPoint Energy’s construction site at CenterPointEnergy.com/Construction select, “Minnesota”, then click on “Project Sites” and select “Bloomington” to find the Penn Avenue Beltline Project. More information regarding the construction schedule will be given as the construction season nears.
Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES), operator of the metro-area wastewater collection treatment system, is replacing an aged and undersized lift station with a new lift station to accommodate future flows from the cities of Bloomington and Edina.
Construction is anticipated to occur in several stages beginning in June 2019 through July 2021.
Stage 1: Construct new Lift Station L55A at the intersection of 82nd Street West and American Boulevard West
Stage 2: Construct water and wastewater forcemains under 82nd Street West
Stages 3, 4, and 5: Construct gravity sewer under American Boulevard West
Stage 6: Remove existing Lift Station L55, commission new Lift Station L55A and restore all surface improvements
The work will require road and lane closures, and other typical construction impacts such as noise, dust, vibrations, and 24-hour pumps for the aboveground temporary wastewater conveyance lines.
Project Updates
A site overview and project area map is available on the Metro Council project website.
Stay Informed
For more information, to sign up for project email or text updates or to view past and present updates, visit the project website the signup for updates is on this page. Questions and comments can be directed to the project team at 952-695-8339 or info@BloomingtonLiftStationL55A.com.
Please leave a voice message, and the team will contact you promptly.
We apologize for the inconvenience and will do our best to minimize negative impacts during construction. We appreciate your patience as we complete this important sewer work in your area.
Water resources projects
Scope
This project includes storm sewer repair at Utah Pond, 8734 Utah Ave S, and sediment excavation at Woodbridge Marsh, 9325 Ensign Avenue S and 8401 West 96th Street.
The storm sewer repair at Utah Pond will replace an old corrugated metal pipe with a similar pipe coated with an aluminized coating. Once started, the work is expected to be completed within a week.
Excavation work at Woodbridge Marsh will remove sediment at three sites on the north side and one site on the south end, where the outlet structure will be replaced with a structure that is less prone to clogging.
Work is expected to begin in late January or early February and be substantially complete by early March 2021. Final restoration is expected to be completed by May, 2021.
Updates
February 11, 2021
This past week, the Contractor continued work at Woodbridge Marsh. The excavation of sediment continues on the south end. Once that is done, they will be moving to the north side and removing sediment deltas at 3 smaller sites.
February 5, 2021
This past week, the Contractor removed and replaced the old pipe at Utah Pond. The site restoration, with the exception of the seeding and erosion control blanket, was restored and stabilized. Crews will return in the spring to get turf established.
At Woodbridge Marsh, the Contractor has completed the preliminary site work to gain access to the pond. Excavation of sediment has begun and will continue on February 9. The sediment is being stockpiled on the shoreline so it can dry out a bit and solidify prior to being hauled off site.
January 25, 2021
Work will begin this week at Woodbridge Marsh. Crews will begin removing brush from the shoreline on Thursday and excavation of the pond sediment will begin the week of February 1. The material excavated will remain on site in order to dry out before it is hauled away beginning February 10.
Work at Utah Pond will be performed the week of February 8 and expected to last the rest of the week. Once work at both sites is finished, the sites will be covered for the remainder of the winter. If needed, more restoration will be done in the spring once growing conditions are favorable.
The Anti-Icing Production upgrades project made significant improvements to the City of Bloomington's Anti-Icing/Brine making capabilities. The use of anti-icing technology reduces the amount of salt needed to clear snow and ice from city streets. The improvements work to address the chloride impairment in Nine Mile Creek and the metro area by reducing the amount of salt applied to the streets and thereby reducing the amount of chlorides entering our surface water systems.
These improvements substantially increase efficiency at which the city can produce an anti-icing blend that will be effective based on the approaching storm characteristics, pavement temperatures, air temperatures, etc... This allows the city to routinely complete 100% of the anti-icing routes prior to snowfall/freezing rain events with the proper blend for the specific storm event. The improvements to the system also give the City the ability to provide anti-icing blends to other local agencies such as Three Rivers Park District, Hennepin County, Bloomington School District and other nearby Municipalities that are specific for each of their uses.
Funding
This project is funded by Clean Water Fund, Nine Mile Creek Watershed District and the City of Bloomington.
Details on project costs:
- Clean Water Grant: $50,000
- Local Match Funds*: $121,029
- Total Project Budget: $171,029
*Local match funds provided by the City of Bloomington and the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District
Benefits
- Reduction of 300 tons per year of road salt applied within the Nine Mile Creek watershed
- Reduction of salt use in the City’s wellhead protection area
- Increased efficiency; 100% completion of all anti-icing routes in 1 day instead of 2 days.
Outcomes
As identified in the Nine Mile Creek Watershed Chloride Total Maximum Daily Load Report the cities of Bloomington, Edina, Minnetonka, Hopkins, Eden Prairie, and Richfield, and Normandale Community College collectively are responsible for reducing salt use within the Nine Mile Creek watershed. Since there are no feasible BMPs to remove chloride once it is introduced to the environment, limiting the amount of road salt applied is the best BMP currently available to the city.
Excessive chlorides impair the biological integrity of Bloomington water bodies which not only effects water quality, but also the aesthetics.
The use of Anti-icing technologies on streets prior to snow/ice events helps to prevent bonding of ice/snow to the streets resulting in more effective plowing and an overall reduction in salt use. This technology helps balance the desire for streets that are clear of snow and ice and protecting our water bodies.
Pedestrian/bicycle improvement projects
Scope
This project includes the reconstruction of existing, substandard trails along the west side of France Avenue between W Old Shakopee Road (CSAH 1) and W 84th Street in Bloomington. The existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities on the west side of France Avenue are a patchwork of sidewalks, narrow trails, and paved shoulders. The varied conditions require weaving, have inconsistent protection, and little separation between trail users and vehicular traffic.
Approximately three miles of trail along the corridor will be constructed to meet today’s standards for multiuse trails including additional width, improved intersection crossings, along with an improved crossing over Nine Mile Creek. Reconstruction of the proposed trail segment will augment multimodal travel in Bloomington by providing increased safety and comfort to users seeking recreation or access to a variety of destinations, including improved connections to existing bike/pedestrian facilities on W Old Shakopee Road, W 90th Street and W 84th Street.
This Project will be designed and constructed in cooperation between both Hennepin County and the City of Bloomington.
Funding
The City of Bloomington applied for and received a federal grant through the Metropolitan Council’s regional solicitation process, which will fund a portion of the project cost. The remainder of the cost will be funded by City of Bloomington funds.
Schedule
The design for the project is complete and construction is anticipated to begin in late Spring – early Summer 2019. Construction is anticipated to complete in the Spring of 2020.
Updates
April 22, 2021
Xcel Energy has been slightly delayed, but is still planning to begin moving the temporarily located power poles back to their permanent location on the west side of France Avenue adjacent to the new boardwalk. This work is anticipated to begin in late April-early May and will require lane closures on France Avenue as the work is completed.
March 26, 2021
Prior to construction of the boardwalk as part of the 2019-201 France Avenue Trail project, power poles were temporarily relocated to the east side of France Avenue between 94th Street and 90th Street. Xcel Energy is planning to begin moving those power poles back to the west side of France Avenue in late March-early April. This work will require lane closures on France Avenue as the work is completed.
