MnDOT prepares for major update on I-494 in south metro area

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Department of Transportation is prepping for the Twin Cities metro area’s next major freeway upgrade: Interstate 494 through Eden Prairie, Bloomington and Richfield. The Star Tribune reports the project got a big boost when the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded MnDOT a $60 million grant to improve traffic flow between Highway 169 and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. MnDOT says the project will make I-494 safer, less congested, last longer and provide new and improved ways for walkers and bicyclists to cross the freeway. The project is expected to start in 2023 and wrap up in 2026.