Project Background

Traffic growth due to intensive suburban development and land use change in the areas surrounding the Highway 55 Corridor has already begun to worsen congestion, cause delays and raise safety concerns along the corridor.  Highway agencies, local communities and corridor users all acknowledge that additional capacity in the Highway 55 Corridor is needed. 

The Highway 55 Corridor Coalition, an organization of communities, businesses, and individuals concerned about Highway 55, helped to secure federal funds in order to develop a plan to improve the traffic and safety problems along the corridor.   With these funds, Hennepin County and Mn/DOT are partnering to develop a corridor design concept to provide this needed improvement.  An Environmental Assessment will be prepared to document impacts on the social and natural environment, and develop mitigation for those impacts.  The proposed plan will allow communities to plan effectively and projects to proceed efficiently when additional funding is secured.