MnDOT to combine history, AASHTO compliance in innovative reconstruction of St. Anthony Main

Minneapolis, Minn — The Minnesota Department of Transportation, the City of Minneapolis, and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board announced a new collaboration this morning: a complete reconstruction of St. Anthony Main, led by MnDOT.

MnDOT’s unique expertise in AASHTO compliance and extensive experience in creating vibrant, people-centered main streets in Minnesota communities will inform the reimagined Main Street Southeast.

“Who needs greenery when you’ve got the Green Book?” mused Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey.

(April Fools) Nancy Daubenberger, Jacob Frey, and Michael Rainville cut the ribbon on the new project — Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger, Mayor Jacob Frey, and Council member Michael Rainville cut the ribbon on the new project

Low RQI informs reconstruction need

The current brick surface and granite curbing create significant maintenance and compliance issues on the existing roadway. Low ride quality index scores suggest a need for complete reconstruction of the roadway.

Context-sensitive solutions

“If there’s one thing MnDOT knows, it’s Main Street,” said transportation commissioner Nancy Daubenberger. “We’ve led several remarkable reconstructions of trunk highways that run on small town main streets throughout greater Minnesota.

“In Crosby, Minn, in 2021, we transformed an unsightly old trunk highway — with two travel lanes, a continuous center turn lane, and narrow sidewalks — to a pedestrian-centered main street — with two travel lanes, a continuous center turn lane, and incrementally less narrow sidewalks.

“We’re thrilled to bring this skillset to the core of the Twin Cities.”

MnDOT reconstruction of Main Street, Crosby before — MnDOT led the transformative reconstruction of Crosby’s Main Street in 2021, changing a dilapidated trunk highway to a context-sensitive, pedestrian-oriented historical main street. These images are not altered. (Images: Google Street View)

MnDOT reconstruction of Main Street, Crosby after — MnDOT led the transformative reconstruction of Crosby’s Main Street in 2021, changing a dilapidated trunk highway to a context-sensitive, pedestrian-oriented historical main street. These images are not altered. (Images: Google Street View)

Crosswalks create danger

One of the most serious flaws of the current Main Street is the frequent marked pedestrian crossings that connect the restaurants and businesses to the Mississippi River.

“Now I know, common sense might tell ya, give a pedestrian a crosswalk and they’ll have a safe place to cross,” explained Mayor Frey in an interview with Streets.mn. “But our engineers down at MnDOT explained that inviting pedestrians to cross the street at all, ever, creates a false sense of security. Removing the crosswalks will help foster community and safety.”

(April Fools) Current crosswalks on St. Anthony Main are frequent and create a false sense of security — Current crosswalks on St. Anthony Main are frequent and create a false sense of security.

(April Fools) Unmarked crosswalks on the Olson Memorial Highway — On the Olson Memorial Highway — another widely admired MnDOT facility in Minneapolis — a safer approach is used: no markings are provided at all, and pedestrians are made to be too frightened to even attempt to cross.

Opportunity for placemaking

St. Anthony Main is home to many beloved businesses, some of which are expected to survive the three-year construction process.

Despite its poor condition, the roadway is widely used by professional photographers as a backdrop for portraits, from senior photos to wedding shoots.

The author himself posed for a portrait on the roadway in 2011 under its previous condition: