Politics & Government
Oakdale Faces Major Repaving Project on I-694 This Summer
Interstate 694 from 40th Street to Highway 61 will be resurfaced starting in June. There will also be a repaving project on 10th Street from Interstate 694 to Inwood Avenue.
Commuters who use Interstate 694 between 40th Street and Highway 61 might want to look for a different route, or prepare for slowdowns, this summer.
Traffic will go down to one lane in each direction starting in June, while construction crews repave the entire stretch of roadway, said Minnesota Department of Transportation spokesman Kevin Walker.
Interstate 694 ramps at Highway 36, Century Avenue, White Bear Avenue and Highway 61 will be closed at different points during the project, he said.
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Oakdale drivers might remember a similar project two years ago, said City Engineer Brian Bachmeier, when MnDOT resurfaced Interstate 694 south of 40th Street down to the Wakota Bridge.
“The capacity is cut in half when we’re down to one lane,” he said. “MnDOT doesn’t close it, but they do encourage people to consider alternative routes.”
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Also starting in or around August, Washington County will be repaving 10th Street from the Interstate 694 bridge to 300 feet east of Inwood Avenue, said Washington County Engineering and Construction Manager Cory Slagle.
Bachmeier said the project will cause lane shifts, but the 10th Street/Interstate 694 interchange will remain open throughout the project.
The City of Oakdale will also have projects going on this summer.
Crews will build a road through Tartan Crossing, the vacant land that once housed the Oakdale Mall, this summer, Bachmeier said.
There won’t be any major traffic impact, he said, but there might be lane shifts in the area when crews are connecting the road with 10th Street and Hadley Avenue, he said.
A new traffic signal on 10th Street at the entrance to the redevelopment site, and Bergen Plaza, is scheduled to be installed in November, he said.
The City of Oakdale will also be in a few areas scattered throughout the city.
For more information: An open house on the Interstate 694 repaving project will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. May 3 at Century College. You can also sign up for email updates on the project and see more information on the MnDOT website.