Elk River's 169 Redefine is underway

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ELK RIVER. MN - The city of Elk River is undergoing major road construction on Highway 169. According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Highway 169 will be converted to a freeway. Project 169 Redefine will remove the five stoplights throughout the highway.

Functioning as the arterial route in Central Minnesota, Highway 169 provides immediate connections between Twin Cities and Elk River. Everyone from Elk River, Zimmerman, and Princeton who commutes, or want to get go downtown for recreation, will get on Highway 169.

The 169 Redefine is initiated because the stoplights on the highway are overloaded with traffic. As a consequence, nearby roads are stuffed with barely progressing traffic.

The project was initiated back in 2019. As of now, MnDOT has already got the final design. Since 2020, Elk River Public Works is planning for the construction, completing the right-of-way acquisition, regulating utility regulations, and preparing the necessary documents to begin construction.

In 2022, the plan is to complete the four new separated interchanges and start the construction on Highway 169 interchange.

As for the construction project, it is estimated to finish by 2024. The construction in 2022 will start from the northern side of 197th Ave and going South until the intersection between Highway 169 and Highway 10.

For Elk River's residents, you might come across some route changes during the construction. The alternated route will also update according to the phase of the construction.

You will notice some reduced speed limits across roads throughout Elk River and some traffic pattern changes on the streets. The pattern changes might affect some businesses, but the city of Elk River ensures that accommodation will be made to keep the local business open.

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