The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) conducted this study of the I-94 corridor between downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul. Mn/DOT's purpose was to identify potential improvements to the physical facilities and traffic operations that existed prior to the I-35W bridge collapse in August 2007, while establishing an overall vision for potential improvements in the I-94 corridor, including improvements for both general traffic operations and transit services. Recommendations that result from this study were focused on meeting or exceeding the established project goals:
- Better utilize existing infrastructure investments;
- Preserve or enhance advantages for transit and carpoolers, as well as for general traffic;
- Provide a congestion-free choice for Single Occupancy Vehicles (SOV);
- Preserve or enhance corridor safety.
Mn/DOT has led the effort to study congestion on freeway corridors in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area and develop alternatives that take advantage of underutilized capacity on freeways and arterials, as well as adding lanes to relieve congestion and other remedial measures. Many studies looked at the duration of congestion and established corridor "planning" capacities, reviewed hourly volumes by direction on critical segments, and identified time periods where an "extra" lane would help reduce congestion. Providing access to the Central Business District (CBD) of Minneapolis, as well as to businesses on the I-494 corridor including the Mali of America, the Trunk Highway (TH) 77 corridor in southern suburban area is a critical link in the Metro Freeway System. In the Congestion Management Planning (CMP) study completed in May 2007, the TH 77 corridor between 140th Street in the City of Apple Valley and Old Shakopee Road in the City of Bloomington was identified as one of the 19 low-cost, high-benefit projects for reducing congestion on freeways in the Twin Cities. However, the actual benefit of the project was in question and the costs were very preliminary. Given the importance of addressing the ongoing congestion, further study was warranted.
Following the CMP study, the TH 77 Corridor Managed Lanes Study was undertaken to further identify operational deficiencies and to evaluate various options to improve the capacity of the corridor. This study addresses broader and regional impacts on the transportation system and modes of travel. The budget for the study is $688,834, and it was funded by a federal value pricing grant with Mn/DOT match. The goals and criteria for evaluation of any proposed options in this study are:
1. Better utilize existing infrastructure investments
2. Preserve or enhance advantages for transit and carpoolers
3. Preserve or enhance advantages for general traffic
4. Provide a congestion-free choice for single occupant vehicles
5. Preserve or enhance corridor safety
This Greater Minnesota Access Study was initiated to address business concerns about needing one or more direct driveway accesses to the adjacent highway to be economically viable. Its primary purpose is to provide examples of good access management within commercial areas adjacent to state highways. These examples can be used by District staff and local government officials to illustrate the application of access management concepts within a variety of roadway types and commercial settings around the state.
