“This has always been an important east-west route in Minnesota,” said MnDOT’s Kent Barnard. “It may not have the same traffic as Interstate 94 but it’s still as important to people in the northern part of the metro.”
Improvements and repairs began on a 2 1/2 mile stretch of US 10 last spring in Anoka, which includes putting up a new bridge over the Rum River. In 2023, the Minnesota 47, US 10, US 169 and Ferry Street exit will be rebuilt into a single point urban interchange.
“Long overdue,” Barnard said. “People up here have been looking forward to this for a long time.”
The construction is being broken down into a couple of projects. When finished, traffic will flow much better on this concrete ribbon.
Said Barnard: ”It carries a lot of traffic.” According to Barnard, an estimated 70,000 cars and trucks a day use US 10.
“I think the biggest thing that we’re doing on this project – besides rebuilding the bridges and interchanges – we’re taking out signal lights,” Barnard said. “When you come through the city of Anoka after next year you won’t have to stop at any signal lights to get through town.”
The tab for this ginormous project is just south of $100 million and construction for the 2022 season will wrap up soon, However, this week road crews were still working by the new Rum River bridge – trying to get as much done as possible.
From striping the highway to putting in new signs, MnDOT is reaching important mileposts on this project.
“Technically most of the construction and most of the impacts from the traffic control will be done next fall,” Barnard said, “but we’ll have a few things to wrap up in the spring of 2024.”
When the first two phases are completed, MnDOT will shift its US 10 focus to the west, where lights will be removed in Ramsay.
“There’s going to be construction up here for the next few years,” Barnard said. “We’re going to be working on Ramsay Boulevard and Sunfish Lake Boulevard starting in 2024.
So prepare for more cone zones and orange barrels before things get better.
“Oh absolutely,” Barnard said. “There’s still going to be some traffic control out here. ”
US 10 runs 275 miles through the entire state of Minnesota from the St. Croix River to the Red River of the North.
