West metro lawmaker shares concerns over construction, pens letter to MnDOT
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‘Tis the season of closures, cones and construction zones in Minnesota.
While crawling commutes, detours and lengthy backups aren’t unfamiliar, driving does feel more painful and frustrating than usual this summer. That’s partly because of multiple projects underway on key corridors, including I-494 in Bloomington, U.S. 212 in Eden Prairie, I-94 in Minneapolis and I-394, from downtown Minneapolis to the western suburbs. Some are scheduled to last through 2026.
On behalf of his west metro commuter constituents, Republican Rep. Andrew Myers penned a letter to the Minnesota Department of Transportation last week, asking for clarity on specific traffic chokepoints, construction project timing and the reality of nonstop roadwork. Myers, who also serves as vice chair of the Minnesota House Transportation Committee and co-chair of the Suburban Solutions Caucus, joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition to share more about his construction concerns.
The following has been lightly edited for clarity. Listen to the conversation by clicking the player button above.
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What are your constituents saying about the I-394 construction project?
I think the level of frustration is growing more and more. I’ve gotten quite a few emails, as well as my own commute experience from the western suburbs, asking why some of these projects are going on simultaneously. And we understand we have a short season here, and we understand that we have state dollars and other dollars that we need to put to work. But they’re just looking for some answers. And that’s kind of the premise behind the letter I sent.
MnDOT has suggested drivers plan ahead or adjust their work schedule, but that’s not feasible for all
I expect a response this week from the commissioner. I know they have a tough job, and I’m just trying to share some of the impacts that we’re seeing and what I’m hearing from other people, because everybody’s impacts are a little bit different. Everybody’s family life is a little bit different. You know, my family, we’ve got four kids. Other people need to get to work much earlier, much later. Some have flexibility. I’m just hopeful to hear something back that they are either open to something or they say, ‘Hey, we heard these a lot already, this is how the project developed, and this is why we’re going forward this way.’
What about nighttime construction?
I’m not an engineer, but I did ask in that letter if they’re looking at doing 24/7 construction. A little jest there, but trying to better understand the impacts during the day versus during the night, and just seeing what those options and opportunities are. Again, we did invest, you know, quite a bit of money into efficiency, speed, driver, safety and worker safety. I’m just hopeful that we can kind of start the dialogue back and forth with the commissioner.
Would it be worth having a Legislative hearing about construction?
I think there’s always ways to improve on things. And that is part of the job as a representative: listening, it’s learning, and then it’s trying to figure out how we can make things a little bit more efficient.
In a statement to MPR News, MnDOT said, “We appreciate the Representative reaching out and we are looking into his questions and concerns. We understand the significant impact road construction can have on people’s lives, and we work hard to minimize that impact before and during construction for travelers and those who live near the construction.”
