The reconstruction of I-494 through Minnetonka, Eden Prairie and Plymouth is now well underway as the heavily traveled roadway is widened between Hwy 5 and Carlson Parkway. Details of how the project was awarded and what it will entail are provided below.

Mn/DOT Awards Contract to Begin Next Phase
of I-494 Reconstruction

On July 30th, 2004, Mn/DOT awarded a $135.6 million design build contract to Granite/McCrossan Contractors, a joint venture of Granite Construction Company and C.S. McCrossan, Inc. Over the next two years, the Granite McCrossan project team, which includes the engineering design companies Parsons Transportation Group Inc. and Edwards and Kelcey, Inc., will reconstruct approximately eight miles of I-494, adding new travel lanes and rebuilding the interchanges at Hwy 62 and Hwy 7. In addition to roadway renovations, the plan also includes four miles of soundwall construction and creation of new storm drainage ponds. Major utility relocation will also be required.

I-494 Project Office on Baker Road

The design build method of construction helps to accelerate major freeway projects and Granite McCrossan’s 28-month duration for this project will significantly reduce the project's delivery time. On a standard freeway project, Mn/DOT would contract with an engineering company for a project’s design, and then construction companies would submit bids to build it. On a design build contract the project’s design and construction will be performed concurrently by a project team all working under the same contract. With the design-build method, if problems arise during construction or changes need to be made, the issues can be addressed and resolved quickly since Mn/DOT and all the companies involved in the project will work out of the same office. Even more noteworthy is the construction sequencing, which will allow work to advance rapidly with minimal disruptions to traffic, particularly when the freeway is most heavily traveled.

So for the next two years, Mn/DOT and Granite/McCrossan will be working closely together to keep motorists up to speed as this major effort to ease congestion, cut travel times and increase safety advances.

What will be done during this phase of I-494 reconstruction?

Approximately eight miles of I-494 will be improved through the construction of two new travel lanes (one in each direction) and the reconstruction of the interchanges at Hwy 62 and Hwy 7. Bridge reconstruction will also occur at other I-494 crossroads, a railroad crossing and a pedestrian bridge, for a total of 14 bridges rebuilt throughout the project corridor.

The project will begin by widening the east side of northbound I-494 by 21 feet between Hwy 5 and an area just north of Minnetonka Boulevard. Once the widening is completed in the fall, southbound traffic will be shifted through the median onto the current northbound lanes and northbound traffic will use the new temporary lanes, with traffic separated by concrete barrier. When combined with the existing shoulder the pavement widening will allow us to maintain two lanes of traffic in each direction for the duration of the project.