Star Tribune
MnDOT’s 2024 to-do list includes nearly 200 road and bridge projects
The recent cool and snowy weather has slowed the start of road construction season, but in the coming days motorists will start feeling the pinch as the Minnesota Department of Transportation gets started on slate of new projects across the state, and resumes others it didn’t finish last year.
Lane closures will kick in Thursday on I-94 between Oakdale and Woodbury in the east metro. Ramps from eastbound I-494 to northbound Hwy. 100 and southbound Hwy. 100 to eastbound I-494 will shut down Sunday as the major rebuild of I-494 through Edina, Richfield and Bloomington resumes.
They are some of the first places drivers will see “Road Closed” signs as MnDOT plans to carry out 193 road and bridge projects over the next six months. The agency is also conducting 54 others to improve conditions at railroad crossings, airports and water ports and improve transit infrastructure. The total cost is $1.6 billion.
“Drivers throughout Minnesota can expect to see more work zones, more orange cones, more closed lanes, and more people working along the road wearing their high-visibility gear,” said Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger.
With that, Daubenber is pleading with motorists to obey speed limits in work zones, avoid using cell phones and engaging in other distracting behaviors, and be patient as traffic jams and delays are possible.
“We become safer together as we share the limited space inside work zones,” she said.
Since 1960, 36 MnDOT workers and 16 contractors have been killed in work zones on state highways and freeways. The deaths do not include any that occurred on county, city or township roads.
For the third and final year, MnDOT will be resurfacing I-94 in the east metro. The agency also is adding an additional eastbound lane from I-494 to Woodbury Drive. Ramps to and from I-494 to westbound I-94 will be closed Wednesday, April 10 through mid-July.
To the north, MnDOT will resurface Hwy. 36 between Edgerton Street in Little Canada and I-35W in Roseville, meaning motorists will face lane and ramp closures all summer. The highway carrying up to 80,000 vehicles a day will be closed in each direction for three weekends, which have yet to be announced.
Drivers on I-494 in the south metro will feel the squeeze again as MnDOT continues building an EZ Pass lane, repairing bridges, modifying interchanges and rebuilding the I-35W/I-494 interchange. Motorists will encounter lane closures on the freeway and detours on nearby roads. American Boulevard, which runs parallel to I-494 will be closed to through traffic between Hwy. 100 and France Avenue.
Snow delayed the start of work on Hwy. 169 in Elk River — it was set to start last week — but it begins this week. The highway will be reduced to a single lane for the summer, meaning a trip to the cabin could take a bit longer.
Large projects outside the metro include rebuilding the Hwy. 25 bridge over the Mississippi River in Monticello, pavement and bridge work on I-35 between the Twin Cities and Duluth and rebuilding the I-90/Hwy. 52 interchange east of Rochester.
Newgate, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, takes in vehicles donated by the public and gives them a new life. Many are resold at car auctions, but since 1997, one to two are given away free each month through the Wheels for Women program. Over the years, Newgate has given away about 770 cars, minivans and SUVs through the program.
But that is not nearly enough to meet the demand, said program coordinator Tyla Pream, noting the school gets 100 to 200 applications a month for the free cars. Applications are available on Newgate’s website.
“There is a massive need,” Pream said.
In 2019, a handful of dealers came alongside Newgate at Christmas and donated additional vehicles to Wheels for Women to reduce the waiting list. Over the years, the December giveaway has grown beyond vehicles to also include gift cards for gas, restaurants, and the Mall of America, plus car seats and even beds for families who need them. This year, the school had Christmas trees for anybody who wanted one, and decorated the vehicles with big red bows, just like the ones you see in commercials.
The annual giveaway has become a quasi-holiday at Newgate, inducing tears from both those who give and receive.
“This is my favorite day of the year,” said Pream, who was a little misty-eyed as she gave Watts a big hug.
Hegseth will need all the Republican support he can get. If all Senate Democrats vote against him, just four Republicans joining them would block his confirmation. Not all Republicans have vowed to back him, even after their meetings.
“I’m not meeting with Hegseth because of Coleman, but Coleman knows how to get things done in the United States Senate, and yes, it is helping [Hegseth] very much,” said longtime Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who also served with Coleman.
One of the most important relationships Coleman has is with incoming Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., which began when he, Thune and Graham were recruited by national Republicans to run for the Senate together.
“It’s a close personal relationship as well as a colleague relationship,” Weber said of Coleman and Thune. “That’s the most important senatorial relationship, obviously, that you can have. Thune has to both reassure senators that their role is going to be respected and reassure the president that he’s going to get his choices whenever it’s possible.”
Thune has not indicated how he will vote, but as incoming majority leader he will be tasked with ensuring Trump’s nominees get confirmed.
“I think that’s not coincidental that Norm has been brought in here,” said longtime Minnesota Republican political consultant Gregg Peppin. “Hegseth is a Trump person, and he has given him a little bit of a boost, so Hegseth’s challenge is not going to be with the Trump-type senators, with the southern senators,” but with moderate senators, Peppin said.
A new free grocery store opened Tuesday in Maplewood, offering greater assistance to Minnesotans who may otherwise struggle to afford groceries.
About 20 people were lined up Tuesday morning as they waited for the opening of the new store Today’s Harvest, which is located in a former grocery store at 1740 Van Dyke St.
“It’s very convenient for me, and it helps to save, especially since I’m a single mom,” said Chee Yang, 38. “It’s hard with groceries prices always being so high.”
Today’s Harvest is run by the Minnesota food bank Open Cupboard, which also operates a free store in Oakdale. As Yang and others waited for the Maplewood store to open, state politicians and Open Cupboard employees wrapped up a ribbon-cutting event inside with workers scuttling around the store to get it ready for its first customers.
Unlike food shelves, Today’s Harvest allows shoppers to pick out what items they wish to take home. It also allows those who don’t wish to disclose their personal information or income level to shop anonymously. Whereas food shelves typically ask for one’s name and address, Today’s Harvest customers only have to provide the number of people in their household and their zip code.
The markets help reduce food waste by obtaining food from stores that is close to expiring but is still safe to eat. The shops include open trays with fresh produce as well as refrigerators with meat, dairy and other products. The refrigerators and freezers each have a sign at the top indicating how many items a customer is allowed to take during their visit.
A sign shows the grocery limit at the new Today’s Harvest grocery store in Maplewood. (Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Jessica Francis, executive director of Open Cupboard, said in her speech Tuesday the market anticipates providing food to an estimated 700 households each day. She described Today’s Harvest as a place catered both to those who struggle with food insecurity, and those who may need temporary assistance as they experience a short-term financial struggle.
“If they hit a bump in the road or they have a crisis, they can lean on us a little more heavily for a little while, until they get back on their feet,” Francis said.
