MnDOT wants to hear from drivers about potential improvements to south metro highway

The Minnesota Department of Transportation wants to hear from drivers who use a major highway in the southern Twin Cities metro.

State Highway 13 in Savage and Burnsville is a main east-west route south of the Minnesota River. It serves local residents and commuters, as well as industrial and port facilities along the river.

But David Elvin, a planner with MnDOT, said the highway — as designed now — is over capacity.

"We're asking a lot of this highway and it's having a little trouble doing everything we're asking of it," he said. "People who drive it know that it's congested. And one of the reasons is that there's close to 55,000 cars a day on a road that is pretty much designed to handle 45,000."

MnDOT is looking at potential improvements along the stretch of Highway 13 between Highway 169 in Savage and Nicollet Avenue in Burnsville. That includes reconstructing a couple of intersections — at Dakota and Yosemite avenues — that see particularly heavy truck traffic to and from the Ports of Savage.

"Access to and from this very important port facility is another critical thing we want to address there. We have ... crazy little problems like the railroad crossing stop arms are hitting trucks because they're queuing up because of the long lines getting in and out of the access," Elvin said.

The agency is holding an open house from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday in Savage to get feedback from residents, drivers and business owners; find more information here.