Proposed Freight Rail Corridor Protection Wall

Learn about the design of the proposed corridor protection wall between freight rail and light rail tracks in Minneapolis, and give your input on aesthetic design options. 

Between Glenwood Avenue and Bryn Mawr Station in Minneapolis, METRO Green Line Extension tracks will run parallel to high volume mainline freight rail tracks (the Wayzata Subdivision). The current design of the Southwest LRT project includes protection for bridge piers and other corridor elements in this area. The additional corridor protection wall between the freight rail and light rail tracks is required by BNSF as a condition for allowing the LRT tracks to be built on its right of way.

For more information about the proposed corridor protection wall and to view a video of the area, visit the project’s website at www.swlrt.org. If you can’t attend this meeting, a comment form and open house materials will be posted on the website to receive your feedback.

About the Project: 

The planned Southwest Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project (METRO Green Line Extension) will operate from downtown Minneapolis through the communities of St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie, passing in close proximity to the city of Edina. The line will connect major activity centers in the region including downtown Minneapolis, Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, downtown Hopkins and the Opus/Golden Triangle employment area in Minnetonka and Eden Prairie. Ridership in 2040 is forecasted at approximately 34,000 average weekday boardings. The project will interline with the METRO Green Line, which will provide a one-seat ride to destinations such as the University of Minnesota, state Capitol and downtown St. Paul. It will be part of an integrated system of transitways, including connections to the METRO Blue Line, the proposed METRO Blue Line Extension, the Northstar Commuter Rail line, a variety of major bus routes along the alignment, and proposed future transitway and rail lines. The Metropolitan Council will be the grantee of federal funds. The regional government agency is charged with building the line in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The Southwest Corridor Management Committee, which includes commissioners from Hennepin County and the mayors of Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie, provides advice and oversight. Funding is provided by the Federal Transit Administration, Hennepin County, Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB), Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA), state of Minnesota, and other project partners. The Southwest LRT Project website is www.swlrt.org

If you require assistance to participate, please contact Sophia Ginis at least seven business days before the scheduled meeting:

Email: Sophia.Ginis@metrotransit.org

Phone: 612-373-3895