Talking Points: Is There Too Much Construction In The West Metro?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Commuters traveling into downtown Minneapolis from western suburbs will get a break from a project that has created major tie ups the last two weeks.
All lanes of Interstate 394 will remain open through Friday evening, when a resurfacing project will shut down eastbound lanes near downtown for two weeks.
For some motorists, this season of road construction has been especially painful.
Talk to commuters in the west metro and some will tell they feel unfairly targeted by road closures and construction projects this summer.
There has been major work on Interstate 494, Highway 100 and Interstate 394. There are also major projects on city and county roads.
The biggest headache is expected a week from Monday, when weekday commuters on Interstate 394 will face two weeks of eastbound lane closures.
Meanwhile, some motorists are complaining about the rough surfaces on the newly repaved westbound 394 lanes.
MnDot says be drivers should be patient. Work on the westbound lanes with partial shutdowns will continue overnight to create a new quieter surface.
Sue Mulvihill, the deputy commissioner and chief engineer from MnDOT, was a guest on WCCO Sunday Morning.
"It's called diamond grinding, and we will close lanes to be able to make that happen and it smooths out the pavement and provides some grooves in there that actually helps the rubber from the tires be a lot quieter for the surrounding neighborhoods," she said.
MnDOT defends the timing of its projects, saying Highway 100 is long overdue, and that the I-394 resurfacing is a matter of urgent maintenance.
As for the east metro, they have had their share of projects too, including closures and construction on Interstates 94, Interstate 35E as well as Highway 5 near Fort Snelling.
To see the full interview with Sue Mulvihill, watch the video above.
