Final countdown for Highway 169 in Elk River

Main Street access to 169 from the west to close on March 25

by Jim Boyle

Editor

The third and final year of road construction to convert Highway 169 to a freeway in Elk River has started, and motorists and businesses who rely on the Main Street crossing are bracing for big impacts to hit on March 25 and April 1 when access points to the highway are shut down.

Elk River City Hall hosted an open house on Monday, March 11, and when the two-hour event started at 4 p.m. dozens of people had already shown up to learn about the project. More filed in as members of the Highway 169 Redefine Team answered questions.

Justin Femrite, Elk River’s public works director, is urging patience, especially through the first week of major changes as people start adjusting their movement to what’s open and what’s not.

“After that first week, people will fall into their routines,” he said. “And, yes, there will be more traffic, and, yes, people’s commutes will take a little bit longer, but they’ll be able to do it.”

Some focused their questions on Main Street to the west of Highway 169. Another group seemed to focus on the impacts to Main Street on the east side of Highway 169. A notable number also had questions about the future of Line Avenue, which is the subject of an improvement project in 2025.

The nice thing about this being the final year of the three-year project is motorists will be able to lean into improvements made to the Highway 10 and 169 interchange as well as the creation of the three new interchanges north of the Main Street crossing that will provide for temporary movements between now and Nov. 1 when the project is expected to be completed.

Michelle Ramert, an office manager for Elk River Family Dentistry, attended the open house to discern the best alternate routes for their patients. She said she was glad to learn the interchange between highways 10 and 101 would remain open so motorists coming up Highway 101 from Rogers and Otsego would be able to take Highway 10 west before turning right onto Main Street to go over the tracks to get to their business at 303 Main Street. The same holds true for many other businesses on Main Street and Carson Street and Court to the west of Highway 169.

Meanwhile, those coming from Ramsey can also use that same route, or if they are farther north or from places like Nowthen they could come down Twin Lakes Road to 193rd Avenue and head east to Highway 169 and to come down to Highway 169 to School Street, where they could then come down Freeport, which turns into Gates Avenue before reaching Main Street.

Femrite said for motorists coming from downtown Elk River who want to get over to Walmart or other nearby destinations, he recommends driving north on Jackson Avenue to School Street to Dodge Avenue and then back down Fifth Street and Line Avenue. Twin Lakes Road also provides access to businesses and residences on the east side of Highway 169 all season long.

Debbi Rydberg, the executive director for the Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce, attended the open house to see if any temporary accesses would be added to support businesses along Main and Carson to the west, like the one added last year to help motorists reach the businesses by The Home Depot while heading north on Highway 169 from highways 10 or 101.

Femrite said MnDOT has gotten that request and looked at it a number of times, but they don’t have an option that has been able to work.

Femrite, Rydberg and others are encouraging locals to support those businesses that will be negatively impacted.

“Encourage folks to find a time during the week or a couple times a week to go out of their way and make that more challenging trip or longer trip to support those businesses,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be during peak times. But those are just conscious decisions that individuals can make on their own to be like: ‘You know what? They’re probably hurting. I’m gonna go out of my way and do what I can.’”

The good news for traffic on the east side of Highway 169 near Main Street is motorists traveling north and south on Line Avenue will be more fluid than usual once access to the highway is closed on April 1.

The temporary access to Zane Street from northbound Highway 169 north might also be open at some point.

“I believe that MnDOT will open it once they get traffic shifted over, once it goes one lane each direction, so that people can get across there,” Femrite said. There will also be stoplights at 179th Street and Twin Lakes Road, just south of The Home Depot.

The temporary lights at Main and Gates added last year were taken down, and they are not expected to be needed this year, Femrite said.

At a glance:

Crews have begun preparing the work zone and installing temporary crossovers and bypass lanes. This work will involve periodic lane closures on Highway 169 between Highway 10 and School Street.

Week of March 25

Main Street on the west side of Highway 169 will close to Carson Avenue to construct a temporary bypass lane.

Main Street on the east side of Highway 169 will remain open.

Week of April 1

Crews will deactivate and remove the signal system at Highway 169 and Main Street.

Highway 169 will be reduced to one lane, each direction, 24/7, between Highway 10 and School Street.

Crews will construct the northbound side first as traffic uses southbound lanes.

Main Street on the west side of Highway 169 will remain closed to Carson Avenue.

Main Street on the east side of Highway 169 will close to Zane Street.

Local access will be open and maintained. Highway 169 access will be open at Highway 10, School Street, Jackson/193rd Avenue and 197th Avenue.