Hennepin and First Short Term Lane Closures

[from Hennepin County]

“Starting next week and going through early June (pending rainy weather), the contractor on the Hennepin/First project is going to be installing the final red pavement markings in the bus/parking lane.  You may have seen this in other parts of the City like on Lake Street and downtown.  The contractor will need to close the bus/parking lane for a few blocks at a time on Hennepin and First to complete the work, including hooding some parking meters.” 

Background

Major work on the Hennepin and First project area was finished in fall 2024.  However, some of the final tasks require warmer temperatures. Beginning April 28, construction staff will be back on site to complete:

• Permanent lane striping

• Red pavement markings for transit priority lanes 

• Final seeding and planting

• Installation of rain gardens to capture and filter rainwater runoff

• Minor work on concrete repairs, utility replacements and site cleanup

You can expect to see traffic shifts and lane closures. Project staff will coordinate directly with property owners in advance of any impacts to access. Work is expected to take about a month, weather permitting.

About this project

In 2024, we improved Hennepin and First avenues between Main and 8th streets in Northeast Minneapolis for people who walk, bike, roll, use transit, and drive Some of the improvements include:

• Calmer traffic and speed reductions

• Improved accessibility

• Wider sidewalks and safer crossings

• Protected bike lanes

• Transit priority lanes for buses from 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. The lanes are available for parking on weekday evenings, and 24 hours a day on weekends. 

• Greener infrastructure, including boulevard plantings and storm water improvements