“You gotta be alert out here,” said MnDOT’s Kent Barnard. Once again, orange is the dominant color on US 10 as a ginormous road construction project enters year two. Cone zones and barrels are everywhere and commutes are longer. But eventually traffic flow will be improved when the work is finished in 2024. “Definitely is harder to get here now,” said Cory Pinewski, whose family runs Pinewski’s Board & Ski Shop in Anoka.
“A couple times when things were shut down and I hadn’t paid attention myself, I got out here and I thought, ‘oh right that’s closed,’ Barnard said. “A lot of sympathy for people.”
Detours and ramp closures
The arrival of spring means it’s go-time for MnDOT. US 10 ramps are closing, detours are set up and local businesses are trying to cope with delays. The epicenter of all this work activity is between the Ferry Street Bridge and West Main Street/Greenhaven Road.
“We closed the ramp from northbound highway 169/Ferry Street to eastbound highway 10,” Barnard said. “At the same time we opened up the ramp from West Main Street to eastbound highway 10. So we’re taking all the traffic from here and sending them down Ferry Street, down West Main Street to get on eastbound 10.”
The fallout from MnDOT’s US 10 makeover is having an impact on drivers who spend time crawling their way through construction areas trying to get from point a to point b.
“This is one of the larger projects that I’ve been involved with in terms of the scope of the project,” Barnard said. “Just the general impacts to traffic, to the city and to the neighborhoods.”
Business isn’t booming
Pinewski’s has clearly been impacted.
“We’re surviving,” Cory said.
US 10 construction is happening just a few yards from their location and business isn’t exactly booming.
“We definitely notice a difference, especially when our exits are shut down,” Cory said. “Both the east and westbound exits directly in front of our store are shut down. Cuts down on traffic for sure.”
The hassle factor outside on highway 10 means less people find their way into Pinewski’s to buy snowboards, skateboards and other items in their store.
“Yeah definitely,” Cory said. “There’s customers that will mention, ‘like oh man it’s kind of a pain to get here today.’ Also it’s really tough getting here. You have to go two exits one way or another to get to us. It’s kind of tough.”
Praise for MnDOT
But Cory isn’t complaining.
“You can definitely still get here,” Cory said.
He says MnDOT has kept them in the loop every step of the way and that Pinewski’s has never shut down.
Said Cory: “I feel like they have actually done a pretty good job.”
“Real positive interaction with the community up here,” Barnard said. “The business community has been great. We’ve been having monthly meetings to discuss what’s coming up on the project with them. and handle any complaints or any concerns they might have.”
Cory sees the big picture and knows that a better US 10 is long overdue and will ultimately be better for Pinewski’s bottom line.
“It’s definitely going to be super nice when it’s done,” Cory said.
“We’re going to have a nice new roadway,” Barnard said. “Nice new bridges.”
“We’re definitely excited for the end result,” Cory said. “We think it will be a big benefit.”
MnDOT wants drivers to follow detour signs, avoid cutting through neighborhoods and allow extra travel time. Construction is expected to finish in the spring of 2024.
