Highway 280 changes, to be made in Spring 09 (St. Paul, Roseville: house, closing)

[krillbee]

For those who are considering or are already living or working anywhere near Highway 280, this information is likely to come in handy. Some of the access closures that were made for 280 in response to the 35W bridge collapse will remain in place and be constructed permanently with removal of traffic signals and additional barracdes in the Spring of 09.

For anyone looking to live in Roseville or Lauderdale near the 280/36 highways, please note that if you plan on ever travelling via bicycle you will need to use Fairview Ave or Larpentuer to get around this new freeway barracade. There's roughly a 3 mile gap in between.

Earlier in October MN-DOT posted the following:

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http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/news/08/10/10-280.html
"The highway corridor between Interstate 94 in St. Paul and I-35W and Highway 36 in Roseville was modified in response to increased congestion after the collapse of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in 2007. Some of the changes made in response to the collapse will remain in place, including closure of some access to Highway 280."
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I attended the open house meeting on October 21st and learned that MN-DOT is intending on keeping 280 as a freeway for northbound traffic but not for southbound traffic. Here are the following changes which have not yet been publicly posted:

-Closing access for County Road B on the east side of 280, but keeping a right-in/right-out private entrance on the west side of 280 for the business located there, Paper Calmenson.

-Closing Roselawn access completely.

-Closing Walnut access completely, except for emergency vehicles only.

-For Broadway Ave, southbound traffic on 280 will be allowed to make right-in/right-out turns. Traffic on Broadway Ave will not be able to make a left turn to head northbound on 280, however northbound traffic on 280 will be allowed to make a left turn onto Broadway Ave to enter the businesses on that side. This unique intersection will effectively make northbound 280 a freeway while still making a stoplight at Broadway necessary for traffic heading southbound on 280. MN-DOT proposed making 280 a complete freeway, but pressure from the businesses on the west side has caused them to do the above mentioned configuration.

-The crosswalk at Broadway Ave to cross 280 will be removed.