Construction of the Rockford Road bridge will begin in May

Construction on Rockford Road bridge slated to begin in May

Excerpt:

Construction of the Rockford Road bridge will begin in May, according to draft plans and a tentative construction schedule shared at a recent open house.

The project will be completed in three phases, tentatively set to begin May 15 and be complete Nov. 15, weather permitting.

During construction, the bridge is expected to be open to traffic through June 7, closed for 120 days through September, and open during the third phase with southbound ramp closures.

A traditional diamond interchange was selected and will expand the bridge capacity and turn lanes. The features include dedicated left-turn lanes onto Interstate 494 and two through lanes in either direction to improve public safety and traffic flow while reducing congestion.

In addition, both exit ramps with have dual turn lanes to handle current and future traffic flows.

One of the goals is to not close the bridge at the same time as the ramps, to minimize impact on local businesses without stretching the project into another construction season, said Derek Schmidt, project manager with the consulting firm WSB and Associates.

The posted detours will send local traffic to Interstate 494 via Highway 55 by means of Rockford Road and County Road 61/Northwest Boulevard, utilizing county roads that can handle the additional traffic volume.

Comment: Project plan


Phases:

• Phase 1 – May 13 to June 7 Construction is tentatively set to begin May 13. Both north ramps will be closed (the ramp from County Road 9 to northbound I-494 and the ramp from southbound I-494 to County Road 9). The bridge will be open to traffic during this phase.
• Phase 2 – June 10 to Sept. 27 The County Road 9 bridge will be closed to traffic roughly 120 days – tentatively set for June 10 to Sept. 27 – weather permitting. Removal of the existing bridge is tentatively planned for the weekend of June 8-9, which may require the closure of I-494. After the completion of this phase, the new bridge will be open to traffic.
• Phase 3 – Sept. 30 to Oct. 31 During this phase, tentatively set for Sept. 30 to Oct. 31, both south ramps will be closed (the ramp from County Road 9 to southbound I-494 and the ramp from northbound I-494 to County Road 9). The new bridge will be open to traffic during this phase, but motorists may experience lane closures while crews complete the interchange. The anticipated completion date is Nov. 15 – weather permitting.

A project to replace the Rockford Road (County Road 9) bridge over I-494 & improve the interchange is set to begin next week.

Stay tuned ➡➡ More information about the schedule/timing will be available next week. https://t.co/msSiyiAMh5 pic.twitter.com/kNijeQJ2MW

— City of Plymouth, MN (@PlymouthMN_gov) May 16, 2019