The City of Golden Valley held a groundbreaking ceremony at 5 pm Tuesday, June 13 to kick off the Douglas Dr/Hwy 55 Pedestrian Underpass and Roundabout Project. The event was held at the Perpich Center for Arts Education, 6125 Olson Memorial Hwy, on the area where the new mini roundabout will be built.
After many years of planning and a thorough public engagement process to gather input and concerns from the community, the City of Golden Valley and MnDOT finalized plans for:
- an ADA-compliant underpass culvert crossing for pedestrians and bikers that will connect the south frontage road to Douglas Dr near the new Metro Transit drop-off site
- a mini roundabout and extended frontage road intersection south of Hwy 55 to eliminate the stop conditions and provide more queuing capacity for vehicles
This design will provide for a safer crossing for both pedestrians and cyclists as well as improved efficiency for motorists accessing Hwy 55. Plans also include connecting the underpass to the regional trail system.
Work began June 6 and is expected to continue through the fall with intermittent lane closures. Near the end of the project, there will be a 10-day full shut-down of Hwy 55 between Hwy 100 and Hwy 169 and a six-week closure of Douglas Dr from Hwy 55 to the north frontage road.
To learn more and stay up to date with work progress and scheduling, and to sign up for email updates, visit the project website.
Photo (L to R): Sophia Ginis, Golden Valley City Council Member; Rebecca Bullen, Principal, and Dr Charles Rick, Executive Director, Perpich Center for Arts Education; Jean Wallace, MnDOT Deputy Commissioner and Chief Engineer; Ann Rest, State Senator; Shep Harris, Golden Valley Mayor; Mike Freiberg, State Representative; Luke Minger, Minger Construction; Gillian Rosenquist and Denise La Mere-Anderson, Golden Valley City Council Members; and Linda Brobeck, Board Member and Former Chair, Perpich Center for Arts Education