169 REDEFINE: All four lanes and two new interchanges open in Elk River
ST. CLOUD, Minn. —The Minnesota Department of Transportation is excited to announce that all lanes of Highway 169 and the two new interchanges at Jackson/193rd Avenue and School Street are now open between Main Street and 197th Avenue in Elk River, Sherburne County.
New signal systems are also active at Jackson/193rd Avenue and School Street to/from Highway 169 with accessible pedestrian features—verbal messages, audio tones and vibrating surfaces. MnDOT will monitor the signal systems and adjust accordingly.
Overall, motorists will continue to encounter periodic lane closures at off-peak hours as crews complete 2023 tasks through November, which includes the removal of the temporary signal system at Gates Avenue/Main Street and the compact roundabout on Evans Street.
Off-road work may occur year-round. When the ground freezes, work operations will suspend for the 2023–2024 winter season.
In spring 2024, crews will return in full force to construct the fourth and last Highway 169 interchange at Main Street. Highway 169 will be reduced to one lane in each direction through the work zone between Highway 10 and School Street. Main Street will also close to/from Highway 169.
MnDOT thanks the traveling public for their patience during the 2023 construction season.
Ames Construction, Burnsville, Minn., is the prime contractor for the three-year 169 Redefine project that will convert three miles of highway into a new freeway on Highway 169 in Elk River. The project includes bridges, freeway lanes, adjacent road and sidewalk connections, city utilities and underground infrastructures.
When open in fall 2024, the MnDOT project, in partnership with the City of Elk River and Sherburne County, will improve traffic flow, increase capacity, reduce bottle necks, and improve motorist and pedestrian safety.
For more information, visit the 169 Redefine project web page at www.mndot.gov/d3/elkriverfreeway.
# # #