Stretch of Hennepin Avenue to reopen Tuesday

By KSTP

The first phase of a major construction project along Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis has nearly wrapped up.

The section between West Lake and 26th streets in the Uptown neighborhood is scheduled to reopen on Tuesday.

Minneapolis Public Works members say the project is an opportunity to update Hennepin Avenue. Their goal is to improve space for people walking, riding buses, biking and driving.

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Phase two is set to begin construction next spring and will focus on a stretch from West 26th Street to Douglas Avenue. That phase is shown in red below.

A map showing the completed and yet-to-be started construction along Hennepin Avenue.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, two city council members and business owners spoke at 12:30 p.m. Monday about the reconstruction project.

At the event, they talked about the work that was done on the road, and pushed for residents to come support the businesses in the area.

“It’s been 50 years since this road was reconstructed, and the completion means we’re clearing the way for small and local businesses to revitalize the corridor,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

A big point of the project was upgrading utilities, which included Xcel Energy adding new electrical infrastructure and CenterPoint Energy installing new gas main and service upgrades.

The city said that 14 water lead service lines were replaced, and new signal and lighting systems were put in.

Leaders at the press conference also said the new street design is meant to be safer for pedestrians and drivers and includes a special bus lane that will be only for buses to use during rush hours. Buses will return to their regular route on Hennepin Avenue on Wednesday.

“This milestone also means it just got a whole lot easier to visit your favorite local shops – go visit them! With the holidays just around the corner, I’m excited for residents and visitors to rediscover the energy, creativity and community spirit that makes Uptown a Minneapolis treasure,” Frey said.