MINNESOTA: Trunk Highway 77 Managed Lanes
Cedar Avenue corridor is a significant element of the Twin Cities Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA). Enhancements under the UPA for Cedar Avenue, however, are focused primarily on improved transit service. This value pricing proposal will build upon the learning of our I-394 MnPASS high occupancy toll (HOT) lane project and the priced dynamic shoulder lanes (PDSL) being implemented on I-35W. An important component of this project will be the evaluation of fixed and moveable barriers and contra-flow lanes in the corridor. This study will evaluate managed lane concepts that are compatible with the long-term plans for development of Cedar Avenue bus rapid transit (BRT). A managed lane is defined as a lane that is controlled for safety, emergency vehicle use, to offer an advantage for transit and carpools, and possibly to allow single-occupant vehicles the choice to pay a toll for a congestion-free trip in the Managed Lane.
The TH 77 Managed Lanes project is a pre-implementation planning study that seeks to explore and test a number of managed lane scenarios to provide a higher level of service for all users. Specifically, the TH 77 managed lanes study aims to evaluate the potential for developing enhanced capacity in a highly congested seven mile stretch of the existing corridor through the development of lane additions and/or the use of fixed/moveable barriers with shoulder lanes and/or contra-flow lanes. The project termini for this study are TH 62 to 140th street in Apple Valley.
Study Completed 2013
The MNDOT completed the original study in early 2011. The new BRT service opened from the Apple Valley transit station to the Mall of America in June 2013.The remaining project funds financed Phase II, which includes preliminary engineering and evaluation work for three alternatives: 1) a contra-flow lane for northbound AM peak traffic; 2) a permanent MnPASS lane; and, 3) a hybrid design. The study also considered options to provide better direct access to the Cedar Grove park-and-ride lot. The MNDOT completed Phase II of the study in late 2013 and found that adding managed lane capacity on I-494 is necessary prior to MnPASS implementation on TH 77. The main concern is that creating MnPASS capacity on TH 77 prior to I-494 improvement will only serve to compound a bottleneck at the I-494 on-ramp westbound.
For More Information Contact
Kenneth R. Buckeye
Program Manager Value Pricing
Phone: (651) 366-3737
E-mail: kenneth.buckeye@dot.state.mn.us
