Nicollet Avenue reconstruction in Richfield

County Road 52 in Richfield

Hennepin County, in partnership with the City of Richfield, plans to reconstruct Nicollet Avenue (County Road 52) from 66th Street to 77th Street in Richfield.

The city and the county approved the layout for Nicollet Avenue in October 2024. The project team will continue to work on the final design in 2025, with construction expected to begin in spring 2026.

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Public involvement

Community involvement 

Ahead of the anticipated start of construction in 2026, the project team is engaging with community members to provide information on what to expect – including changes to access and temporary traffic impacts like road closures. Pre-construction communications will include website updates, a newsletter, and a pre-construction open house in summer 2025

View the final design

Over the course of our engagement process, you shared what you would like to see a reconstructed Nicollet Avenue look like. With the help of your feedback, we selected an initial concept that was approved by the Richfield City Council as the final design.

View the Nicollet Avenue final design (PDF)

Online engagement

View the layout of potential changes to Nicollet Avenue and learn about our engagement process.

View the online engagement website

Past engagement events

The county hosted an open house on July 10 at the Richfield Community Center

View the open house presentation boards (PDF)

The county hosted an open house on February 29 at the Richfield Community Center.

The county hosted an open house on October 17 at the Richfield Community Center.

The county hosted an open house on August 22 at Hennepin County Library- Augsburg Park.

View the open house presentation boards (PDF)

View the project one pager.

Project information

About the project

Nicollet Avenue is a north-south connector in the city of Richfield. People use it to access Hennepin County Library at Augsburg Park and the Richfield Community Center, as well as many local businesses, schools and faith institutions.   

The current roadway design is a three-lane road, with one lane in each direction and a center turn lane. Most of the corridor has restrictions on parking.

Metro Transit uses the corridor for its Route 18 bus service. There are no separated lanes for people biking.

Image of Nicollet Avenue project area

Project goals

The roadway is nearing the end of its lifespan. Reconstruction means we will be removing the roadway, replacing utilities and updating infrastructure. This provides an opportunity for us to rethink how the roadway is used and allow for updates within the entire right of way. Collaborating with the City of Richfield allows us to consider broader improvements than those we might be able to make on our own.

Our project goals include goals for design as well as engagement.

Create safe, secure and comfortable places for everyone to travel, regardless of their age or ability.
Provide quality experiences for all types of travel - driving, walking, rolling, biking and using transit.
Improve bus travel by creating comfortable stops and reliable travel experiences.
Provide safer facilities and crossing opportunities for people walking, rolling and biking.

Project leadership

Hennepin County

Matt Huggins, P.E.
Project manager
matt.huggins@hennepin.us
612-596-0326

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