East Hennepin Avenue safety improvements

County Road 52 in Minneapolis

Hennepin County, in collaboration with the City of Minneapolis and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), plans to construct safety enhancements at the intersections of East Hennepin Avenue (County Road 52) and 10th and 11th avenues in the vicinity of I-35W.

Work is anticipated to begin in 2024.

The county is also planning to repave a section of East Hennepin Avenue between 11th Avenue and Industrial Boulevard. Engagement for this project is taking place the summer of 2024 with anticipated construction in 2025.

Matt Huggins, PE, project manager (Safety enhancements project)

matt.huggins@hennepin.us

Phone: 612-596-0326

Jordan Kocak, project manger (Repaving and restriping project)

jordan.kocak@hennepin.us

Phone: 612-543-3377

Colin Cox, media contact

colin.cox@hennepin.us

Phone: 612-850-9030

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Safety enhancements project information

About the corridor

East Hennepin Avenue is an urban four-lane road with left turn lanes, center median, and no dedicated bike facilities through the project limits. 10th Avenue is an urban two-lane, one-way road, that serves as an on-ramp for southbound I-35W. 11th Avenue is an urban three-lane, one-way road, that serves as an off-ramp for northbound I-35W. Metro Transit’s 4, 25, and 61 bus routes serve the project area.

Intersection enhancement project

Engagement and design work has been completed for this project and construction is anticipated to start in 2024. Project staff will reach out to area users ahead of the start of work about project detours, closures and other updates.

Project goals

Implement safety countermeasures to address crash issues
Replace aging traffic signal infrastructure
Improve pedestrian safety and mobility for people walking and rolling

Proposed safety enhancements

Improvements to East Hennepin Avenue

When completed, users of the roadway will notice:

New traffic signals at East Hennepin and 10th and 11th avenues
New Audible Pedestrian Signal systems and push button stations
Turn lane modifications along East Hennepin Avenue and 11th Avenue
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant pedestrian facilities

East Hennepin Avenue repaving in 2025

Corridor repaving and restriping project

Engagement on the mill and overlay project between 11th Avenue and Industrial Boulevard is underway with the goal to make improvements during the 2025 construction season. Projects like this typically begin with intersection work, then pavement work and finish with restriping.

View a project one-pager (PDF)

Potential changes

This project provides an opportunity to change roadway striping to improve safety and mobility for road users while preserving existing parking infrastructure.
The project team is currently collecting feedback on potential changes such as the items listed below.

If you wish to share your thoughts or ask questions about the project, contact jordan.kocak@hennepin.us

Changes under consideration include:

Reconstructing curb ramps to be more accessible and easier to use, compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Reducing the number of general travel lanes from four-lanes to three-lanes with a center left turn lane and two general travel lanes to reduce crashes and narrowing the widths of the lanes to discourage speeding
Shortening crossing distances to improve crossing safety for people walking and rolling
Adding dedicated bike lanes with buffer space between bike lanes, parked vehicles and moving traffic to improve safety for people biking

Project leadership

Hennepin County project leadership

Matt Huggins, PE
Project Manager (Safety enhancements project)
matt.huggins@hennepin.us
612-596-0326
Jordan Kocak
Project manager (Repaving and restriping project)
jordan.kocak@hennepin.us
612-543-3377

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