Big decisions are ahead for a nearly-decade-long safety project in the north metro, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).

The interchange between Hwy 252 and I-94 is a problem area due to congestion and a high number of crashes, MnDOT Metro District major projects manager Amber Blanchard.

“There’s been three fatalities in three years between 2016 and 2019, and there were six fatalities in the six years before that,” Blanchard said on Tuesday.

“The signalized intersections that we have on 252 do make for congestion, and when you have more congestion, you do have more crashes,” she continued.

After years of research, her team is turning to neighbors with an idea to improve safety: Lose the traffic lights and convert the highway into a freeway.

“Their feedback is really, really important to us,” Blanchard stressed.

Nothing is set in stone, and before any conversion efforts can begin, there are two big decisions for people living in potentially impacted areas, particularly in Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center, to weigh in on.

The first is whether to use overpasses or underpasses where these intersections currently are along Highway 252. The second question concerns which intersections will turn into onramps and offramps for the proposed freeway.

When asked how many property owners could potentially be uprooted, Blanchard said, “It’s hard to say at this point, because it really depends on where the access is going to go. But there will be impacts, because you can’t have a freeway project conversion without impacts.”

For Blanchard, the study and proposed changes come down to safety, something that hit home earlier this year when her teenage son was struck by a car and seriously hurt.

“He was, and it’s really kind of strengthened my resolve to make sure that specifically, pedestrians and bicyclists, those that are most vulnerable, are safe when they’re crossing our highways,” Blanchard said.

“So we really need to key in on the safety aspect, and that’s what I’m focused on.”

MnDOT is hosting public meetings. The soonest is in Brooklyn Park on Thursday.

Several versions of the highway conversion proposal exist, including varying numbers of lanes and highway shoulder adjustments. Leaving the highway as is is also still on the table.

CLICK HERE for more details on the proposals as of this report.