Highway 280. Image via Google Maps
State Highway 280 will fully close April 13 and reopen mid–to-late August
By Diana Lopez-Silva — Reporting intern
State Highway 280 will fully close April 13 as the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) works on repairs until mid-to-late August. Northbound will close April 13 and Southbound will follow on April 27.
As a major artery connecting Roseville to the Twin Cities, finding alternative routes will be paramount for residents in the coming months.
Routes to Remember
Interstate Highway 35W appears to be the best alternate route for Roseville residents. However, there will also be Northbound and Southbound detours, both encompassing Interstate Highways 94 and 35E. For local trips, residents can opt for Snelling Avenue or Cleveland or Raymond Avenues if you live closer to the St. Anthony Park/Falcon Heights area.
Residents should expect more traffic along these alternative routes and prepare to leave a few minutes early.
According to MnDOT, Metro Transit bus routes 30 and 33 will continue to serve existing stops, but schedules may be affected by construction.
In Roseville, another subject that’s been discussed is the entrance to the Pacal Business Center, located directly off of Highway 280 at 2500 W County Road B. A new entryway off of Broadway Street is currently in progress, ensuring continuous access to Pacal during construction.
The History Behind Highway 280
Highway 280 in its current form was built between 1955-1968, and its most recent repairs were completed a decade ago, according to MnDOT North Metro Engineer Christopher Bower. Now the highway is in desperate need of repairs and upgrades.
MnDOT intends to fully close the highway so they can fully restore the highway. Projects include repairing numerous bridges and ramps, fixing drain pipes, resurfacing road pavement, installing new traffic lights and replacing old guardrails.
Full vs. Partial Closure
A full closure of Highway 280 was chosen in place of a partial closure primarily due to safety and efficiency. As Bower described it, a partial closure would’ve created head-to-head traffic on a two-lane road with cones in the middle.
“All it takes is one of these drivers to drift across or lose attention and we have a very serious crash,” he said.
Additionally, a partial closure there would eliminate the shoulder of the road. It would only take one car breaking down to flood the road with traffic and leave numerous drivers stuck.
Beyond the hypothetical there’s also a matter of time. According to Bower, a partial closure would stretch the project timeline to two years instead of four months. On top of that, it would also have compounding traffic issues later this summer due to State Fair congestion. With full closure, the construction has a projected reopening in mid–to-late August, hopefully before the fair starts up.
The goal with this project is to repair and upgrade Highway 280 as safely and quickly as possible.
“Construction is hard, and our goal is to get this work done as quickly and safely to minimize traffic to the public,” said Bower.
What you can do
Before and during construction, MnDOT wants to ease concerns and make the construction process transparent. For direct updates, visit the MnDOT website and register for email updates regarding this project, or see any traffic updates directly through the 511mn.org website.
The latest bus information can be found on the Metro Transit website.
For any immediate concerns or inquiries regarding the project, the best way to reach MnDOT both before and during construction is to email or call the project hotline. During construction they’ll be coordinating meetings between MnDOT and its partner agencies to resolve any issues that may arise.
Project email: info@hwy280construction.com | Project hotline: 612-254-7776
