Sunrise over the intersection of Anderson Lakes Parkway and Highway 169.
Starting later this morning this intersection is going to be the focus of significant construction activity. You’ll see a lot more of this kind of vehicle:
Later this morning a private construction contractor working for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) will remove the traffic signals from this intersection. After the traffic signals are removed, the intersection will allow “right in, right out” access only.
“Right in, right out” access means that if you are east bound on Anderson Lakes Parkway arriving at its intersection with Highway 169, you’ll be able to make a right on to 169 and go south, but you will not be able to make a left on 169 to go north. This situation is scheduled to last until April 11.
After April 11th, the access to 169 from Anderson Lakes Parkway will be closed. This also means that the access to Anderson Lakes Parkway from 169 will also be closed. The closure is expected to last during the entire construction project, which is expected to be completed later this year. Probably November or December.
The objective of the construction project is to make the intersection of Anderson Lakes Parkway and 169 a more conventional freeway access interchange. MnDOT will build a bridge so that Anderson Lakes Parkway will go over 169 into Bloomington. There will be on-ramps and off-ramps to allow more efficient access to and from 169 into Eden Prairie and Bloomington. This project will be similar in nature to the project that MnDOT completed last year at Pioneer Trail and 169. The ramp designs are a little different, but the project itself is similar.
This is a good project for Eden Prairie, but it’s not without sacrifice. The Preserve Village retail center (Jerry’s Foods, et al) will have their road access compromised during the project. They are likely to suffer some economic impacts from the project as drivers take other routes for the balance of this year. Having retail services in that part of our community is important. If you can, help them out and do some shopping there. It would be good for the retail businesses in the area, and good for the community as well.
