City of Mpls,  News

Updated: Road Closure Status at 43rd and Upton

Update from 7/18/24

On Thursday, July 18, representatives from the City of Minneapolis Public Works department, Metro Transit, the Met Council, and Morcon (the contractor hired to do Metro Transit’s construction work) convened at the Linden Hills Recreation Center for a public update on the status of construction at 43rd and Upton.

These groups advised that unexpected subsurface issues will extend the original timeline into the fall of 2024. Currently, the teams in place are working to wrap up all underground utility work so they can restore roadways, begin the work of installing bus stops and curb bumpouts — and gradually begin reopening traffic access to the intersection.

Here is the new timeline they shared:

  • July 8 – July 26: The city will complete water main work.
  • July 29 – August 2: The team will remove and demo at the southeast and southwest corners, and work to relocate existing underground utilities (Century Link).
  • August 5 – 9: Set up physical storm structures, connect curb, water lines and catch basins.
  • August 12 – Sept 1: Team will construct new curbs, bus pads and roadway pavement. The team will install temporary gravel roadway for traffic restoration south of 43rd St.
  • Beginning Sept 1: Team will need 4-5 weeks to complete roadway pavement on East side of Upton/Sheridan. The intersection will reopen to northbound traffic.

The group did not give a specific timeline for all roadways to be reopened at 43rd and Upton, but it is understood that it would be at earliest, 4-5 weeks from their last named milestone of Sept 1.

Small business owners at the meeting stressed several things:

  • Communications from the city, Metro Transit and all other involved entities have been subpar as timelines have shifted.
  • There is a misunderstanding among their customers that they are receiving grants or assistance from the city; none seem to be available.
  • Their profits are WAY down year-over-year, with many stressing sales dips as high as 40-60% from 2023.
  • The spring and summer months are the busiest time of year for them, and they are missing their opportunity to reach customers and drive in revenue they need to survive the long Minnesota winters.
  • Many have laid off employees, or are considering doing so. Others fear that they may not be able to stay in business.

To improve project communication, Metro Transit will be hosting onsite office hours at Jones Coffee at 43rd and Upton each Wednesday, from 12:30pm-2:30pm. All are welcome to stop in to ask questions regarding the project and its timeline.

Update as of 6/28/24, from Metro Transit:

As the city of Minneapolis construction team exits the 43rd and Upton intersection, the METRO E Line team would like to give neighborhood residents and businesses an update on construction progress.

  1. During utility work, the City’s contractor encountered conflicts with private utilities, requiring modifications to the storm sewer infrastructure at the intersection. These modifications have resulted in additional work to replace water mains that are in conflict with the new storm sewer manholes being installed as part of the E Line project. The METRO E Line contractor will finish that work as part of our continued partnership with the city.
  2. The METRO E Line contractor will be working with the city to plan final utility installation in the coming weeks.
  3. As well as completing utility work, the METRO E Line contractor will work to finish removals of roadway pavement and sidewalks before grading and eventually pouring new pavement at the E Line stations on the NE and NW corners of the intersection. 
  4. The contractor will be working hard to open north/south traffic on Sheridan/Upton as soon as possible, but is currently anticipating completing this work in August.

We understand that the intersection closure has lasted longer than expected.  Metro Transit and the city of Minneapolis empathize with the affected businesses and residents, and we appreciate your patience.  We will look to host a public meeting in the coming weeks to answer questions in person.

In the meantime please sign up for METRO E Line updates and email any and all questions to ELine@metrotransit.org.

For questions regarding the City utility work, please contact Henneh Kota at Henneh.kota@minneapolismn.gov

Update as of 6/14/24:

The Public Works portion of the project is expected to wrap up on June 28, and Metro Transit will begin their work to add a bus stop and bump-outs after. As Metro Transit will not need the entire intersection closed for their work, the street will open to North-South traffic in early July. East-West traffic will continue to be detoured.

Original post, April 21, 2024

In the spring and summer of 2024, the intersection at 43rd and Upton will be closed to car traffic, and pedestrian walkways will remain open. 

During that time: 

  • Minneapolis Public Works will replace 200 feet of clay pipe from 1919 at the intersection.
  • Metro Transit will use this time to begin construction on METRO E Line stations at the Northeast and Northwest corners of the intersection, and to add pedestrian improvements at all four corners of the intersection.

Construction work hours will be from 7am-6pm, Monday through Friday. 

Project Timeline

  • Public Works has quoted a shutdown time of 70 days (10 weeks), provided they don’t uncover anything unexpected once they begin digging. They will need the intersection shut down for their entire construction period. 
  • Metro Transit will take advantage of the intersection closure to complete as much work as possible for the METRO E Line. 
  • When Public Works has completed their project, Metro Transit will continue their construction until the METRO E Line stations and pedestrian improvements are completed.

Parking and Congestion Issues

We all know that this area has a lot of traffic and parking issues on a typical day, so you should expect it to take longer to drive into this business district, and for parking to be more challenging. If you live on the side streets near 43rd and Upton, you should expect more cars to be parked on your block for the next few months. 

We are working to create a parking map, but for now keep in mind:

  • Parking on 43rd St. and Upton Ave. will remain available up to the road closure area. 
  • Other street parking off the main node will remain open.
  • The city has requested that construction crews carpool or do their best to minimize work vehicles taking up parking spaces near the village. 

Supporting Local Businesses

Together, the Linden Hills Neighborhood Council, the Southwest Business Association and representatives from Mint Orthodontics and New Gild Jewelers have been working on a campaign we are calling “Walk, Bike, Roll to Linden Hills,” which is designed to incentivize non-car activity in the primary business district. 

The goal of Walk, Bike, Roll to Linden Hills will be two-fold:

  1. To strongly support our local businesses – which are the lifeblood of Linden Hills – during this challenging time.
  2. To minimize traffic issues and ensure that the limited remaining parking spaces can be used by those who need them the most.

City Contacts for this project

The Linden Hills Neighborhood Council is working to coordinate communications between all parties on this project. You are welcome to email info@lindenhills.org with questions. 

If you’d prefer to email the folks working on the project at the city, here is their contact info: