Southwest LRT Construction Update: October 22 – November 4, 2021
Web: swlrt.org
Twitter: @SouthwestLRT
Construction Hotline: 612-373-3933
Closure of Excelsior Boulevard in Hopkins
On Monday, October 25, both directions of Excelsior Boulevard will be closed at the Jackson Street and Milwaukee Avenue intersection for approximately 10 days. Jackson Street and Milwaukee Avenue will be restricted to right turns only. Crews will dismantle and remove bridge construction equipment, having completed that portion of the LRT bridge structure. After this work is complete Excelsior Boulevard will reopen to traffic in both directions. See Hopkins detour maps
Weekly Construction Photo: Prairie Center Drive Bridge in Eden Prairie
 Crews install crossover tracks on the Prairie Center Drive Bridge as LRT enters the SouthWest Station. Crossover tracks allow light rail vehicles to move to the other track for maintenance or return trips.
Eden Prairie Highlights
Upcoming or Recently Completed
- Beginning the week of October 25, crews will repave Flying Cloud Drive from Valley View Road to Town Center Place. This will complete the last major phase of LRT construction within the roadway along Flying Cloud Drive, which has been underway for the past two years. Following the completion of road reconstruction, all lanes of Flying Cloud Drive and the westbound I-494 on ramp to Flying Cloud Drive will reopen, which is expected in November. Construction will continue in the surrounding area.
- On Thursday, October 28 Technology Drive will be closed at the intersection of Flying Cloud Drive so that crews can safely pull very long, heavy lengths of steel rail across the road. Please follow detour signage.
- On Friday, October 29 from 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Viking Drive at Flying Cloud Drive will have intermittent closures of 10-15-minute. Flaggers will direct traffic while this activity is underway.
- From Monday, October 25 through Friday, October 29 one eastbound lane on Prairie Center Drive will close between the Highway 212 off-ramp and Technology Drive.
- West 70th Street has been reopened to traffic for the winter.
Ongoing:
- The westbound Highway 212 off-ramp to Shady Oak Road will remain closed through the end of the construction season.
- One of the eastbound lanes on Highway 62 between Highway 212 and Shady Oak Road will remain closed into November.
Visit our website for more details and visuals of construction activities in Eden Prairie.
Minnetonka Highlights
Upcoming or Recently Completed
- Smetana Road was reopened to traffic on Tuesday, October 19. Feltl Road is closed through Summer 2022. See Minnetonka detour maps.
Ongoing:
- Red Circle Drive remains closed to westbound traffic near the Yellow Brick Road Preschool as the second phase of the nearby pedestrian underpass construction continues. Drivers exiting Opus Park along Bren Road East will still be able to access Red Circle Drive and Shady Oak Road. Yellow Circle Drive is configured as a two-way road during this phase of construction to accommodate through traffic and local businesses. See Minnetonka detour maps.
- The westbound lane on Green Circle Drive near the intersection with Bren Road West is closed until spring 2022.
- The City of Minnetonka has closed Blue Circle Drive to reconstruct a bridge. This work is anticipated to continue through November. See Minnetonka detour maps.
- Crews continue to work on the Minnetonka-Hopkins LRT bridge.
Visit our website for more details and visuals of construction activities in Minnetonka.
Hopkins Highlights
Ongoing:
- Westbound Excelsior Boulevard is closed at Jackson Avenue. This closure will remain in place through the full closure of the roadway that starts on Monday, October 25. See Hopkins detour maps.
- The construction of the regional trail underpass at Blake Road North continues. Blake Road traffic has been reduced to one northbound lane between Excelsior Boulevard and 2nd Street N.E. while southbound Blake Road traffic is detoured at 2nd Street N.E. It is anticipated that Blake Road will be open to southbound traffic by the end of the construction season. See Hopkins detour maps.
Visit our website for more details and visuals of construction activities in Hopkins.
St. Louis Park Highlights
Upcoming or Recently Completed
- The week of Monday, October 25 the lane closures along Louisiana Avenue between West Lake Street and Oxford Street will be removed. The City of St. Louis Park has completed their work on the new roadway bridge on Louisiana Avenue south of the project and the roadway is now open to traffic to Excelsior Boulevard.
Ongoing:
- Crews are advancing construction of the LRT bridge over the Minnehaha Creek.
- Crews continue to advance the freight rail connection and prep for LRT tracks in the Louisiana Avenue area. Expect pile driving in the area.
Visit our website for more details and visuals of construction activities in St. Louis Park.
Minneapolis Highlights
Upcoming or Recently Completed
- The fourth Kenilworth LRT tremie seal, concrete pour, was completed on Tuesday, October 19.
- Preparation continues for secant wall construction adjacent to the Cedar Isles Condos and parking structure. Earthwork activities will be ongoing. Expect drilling operations to begin in November.
Ongoing:
- The West Lake Station area continues to see construction traffic in and out of the site via Abbott Avenue. Concrete work on bridge pier protection and station platform preparation is expected to continue through fall 2021.
- The Kenilworth LRT tunnel site continues to be active. Concrete work and excavation activities are constant between Lake Street and Cedar Lake Parkway.
- The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has closed the Cedar Lake Channel for the fall season to conduct shoreline stabilization and naturalization work between Cedar Lake and the Burnham Road Bridge. LRT bridge construction over the Cedar Lake Channel is ongoing.
- Construction at Bryn Mawr Station is continuing with excavation and pile installation to construct the pedestrian bridge. Retaining wall work on the bluff south of Wayzata Boulevard and Penn Avenue is expected to start by early November. Crews are currently prepping the site to begin construction activities.
- Crews continue to build the corridor protection wall between Glenwood Avenue and Highway I-394, including work on Saturdays.
- Glenwood Avenue between Lyndale Avenue North and North 12thStreet remains closed. See Minneapolis detour maps.
- Bridge pier work near 7thand 6th Avenues has resumed. This work entails high-vibration activities for sheeting installation and pile driving. This work is expected to continue through the construction season. Expect temporary lane closures on eastbound 6th Avenue.
Visit our website for more details and visuals of construction activities in Minneapolis.
Trail Highlights
- Various trails within the Opus area are closed as crews advance many project elements.
- The South Cedar Lake LRT Trail in Hopkins and St. Louis Park will remain closed until 2022.
- Temporary trails near Chowen Avenue and West Lake Street remain in place. For your safety and the safety of our crews, please follow signage for the temporary trail and stay clear of the work zone.
- The Kenilworth Trail will remain closed until the completion of LRT tunnel construction. The date is yet to be determined.
- The Luce Line Regional Trail bridge that crosses the BNSF rail corridor at Bryn Mawr Meadows Park is closed until fall 2022. A new bridge is being reconstructed to connect the new Bassett Creek Valley LRT Station with the park.
- The North Cedar Lake Trail east of Dunwoody Boulevard will remain closed through 2022.
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Trail Detours: Minnesota River Bluffs, South Cedar Lake Parkway, Kenilworth, Cedar Lake Trail
Eden Prairie Sidewalk and Roadway Detours: Southwest Station, I-494 Ramps at Flying Cloud Drive, Upcoming Flying Cloud near West 70th
Minnetonka Roadway Detours: Opus area: Yellow Circle, Red Circle, Smetana Road
Hopkins Detours: Excelsior Blvd & Jackson Avenue
Minneapolis Roadway Detours: Glenwood Avenue, Royalston Avenue |
