Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom. This editorial was written on behalf of the board by Star Tribune Opinion intern Noor Adwan, a 2023 graduate of the University of Minnesota.
•••
Anyone who's driven through Blaine on Hwy. 65 will tell you: It's a massive pain. The high speed limit coupled with lights every quarter- to half-mile feels like a recipe for disaster, and the congestion at all hours of the day is intolerable. When the road does manage to clear out and you can drive at a comfortable speed, other drivers might whiz by at 70, 75 or 80 mph.
Thankfully, much-needed improvements are en route. An Oct. 12 event celebrated the securing of $195 million in funding — around $146 million from the state and $49 million in federal funds — for a rebuild intended to address a number of safety and mobility issues on the busy highway.
The project, a joint effort between the city of Blaine, Anoka County and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), will rebuild the section of Hwy. 65 between 97th Avenue NE and 119th Avenue NE to resemble a freeway. Once completed in 2028, it is anticipated to mitigate congestion, cut down on crossing time by more than two-thirds, reduce crashes and improve conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians along the corridor.
"Given the volumes and high speeds, signals and intersections are an opportunity for rear-end crashes, right-angle crashes — very severe types of crashes," MnDOT North Area Manager Molly McCartney told an editorial writer. "There are folks trying to walk and bike the corridor, too, and I've heard anecdotally people do not want to do that. They don't feel safe. They don't want their kids crossing 65, even though that's the shortest way to get from place to place."
The rebuild will replace stoplights at 99th Avenue NE, 105th Avenue NE, 109th Avenue NE and 117th Avenue NE/Cloud Drive with over- or underpasses with on- and off-ramps. Existing frontage roads will be expanded and new ones built to connect drivers to the four new interchanges and to offer another option if they need only make a short trip along the corridor. The plan also involves the construction of new sidewalks, bike trails and a pedestrian bridge over the highway north of 109th Ave NE.
A revamp is long overdue. A MnDOT study from more than a decade ago demonstrated that, of the 200 intersections in the state that were the costliest due to accidents, 19 were on Hwy. 65 — a number no other stretch of state highway came close to. Today, the rate of fatal and severe crashes on some parts of the road is eight times higher than the state average.
Venki Gopal, a Blaine resident of 21 years, said changes should have been made years ago. While his family avoids using Hwy. 65 when they can, there's sometimes no other convenient option to get to local businesses, grocery stores or their daughter's school. Gopal's biggest concern is congestion, which he said he's seen worsen over the years as Blaine's population has swelled. "The wait can be enormous," he said.
If the city were to leave the stretch of highway as it is today, congestion would be expected to nearly double by 2045, Blaine City Engineer Dan Schluender told an editorial writer.
There's still work to be done before construction starts in 2026, MnDOT's McCartney said, especially in the realm of public communication. While it's too early to describe exactly what sort of disruptions commuters should expect, McCartney said more specifics will be available regarding traffic impacts and access to local businesses once some engineering decisions have been finalized.
"People have high expectations and want to see this get done with minimal impact to the traveling public," she said.
This change is much needed and long in the making. While the multiyear construction process will likely be frustrating and disruptive, a rebuild is necessary to address what has been both a highly dangerous and highly trafficked stretch of highway for many years.
