City Council Approves Hennepin Avenue Reconstruction Layout
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The Minneapolis City Council on Friday approved the layout for a redesign project downtown to make Hennepin Avenue better for all travelers.
The reconstruction is set to take place on Hennepin Avenue next year, from Washington Avenue South to 12th Street. Officials say the downtown section of Hennepin Avenue was last rebuilt in 1986.
In the 30-plus years since, the pavement is aged and needs to be replaced.
Hennepin Avenue attracts thousands of people daily. That includes more than 10,000 pedestrians, 730 bicyclists, 8,100 public transit users and 20,000 drivers.
The new layout includes wider sidewalks, protected bike lines and both directions, four lanes for vehicles to keep Hennepin Avenue a two-way street, a narrower road to shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians and reducing bus stops from 13 to eight.
The estimated cost of the project is $20 million, and construction is set for 2019 through 2022.