By Anne Holzman
As engineers prepare to repave Trunk Highway 280 this spring and summer, they are also planning street-level work that will follow in 2028.
In January, the Lauderdale City Council will hear from Minnesota Department of Transportation officials about proposed improvements for drivers, bikers and pedestrians on streets crossing the highway. Sometime in the next few weeks, a larger public open house will give everyone who uses those streets a chance to weigh in.
The combined cost of the project is estimated at $34 million.
MnDOT Engineer Chris Bower, a Lauderdale resident, told the Bugle that this year’s work on Highway 280 is now firmly scheduled. The entire length of the highway will be closed to all traffic starting April 13.
“The goal is to be sure we can get the work done before the State Fair,” Bower explained.
He added that further lane closures may happen after the Fair, but not full closure.
Meanwhile, MnDOT is working with the cities and counties that own the connecting streets to plan the 2028 changes.
The biggest impact will be at Broadway Street in Minneapolis, where the left turn from northbound 280 onto Broadway will be eliminated. MnDOT has long prioritized this change to address the high number of crashes at the intersection.
Bower said traffic will likely shift onto Hennepin Avenue, where an awkward pathway of hills and turns — complicated by a railroad crossing — needs improvement.
The busy web of street crossings around Territorial Road is another pain point that officials hope to improve, Bower said. He has also heard complaints about Wabash Avenue, which crosses 280 just north of Interstate 94.
One issue for drivers should be mitigated, if not resolved, in 2026, as the repaving will realign the northbound exit ramp at Energy Park to improve visibility to the left.
Bower said MnDOT has been working with neighborhood associations and businesses as well as city, county, and railroad officials. “You have to tie this in with the local network,” he said.
Observers who spot problems during the 2026 construction season can call the project hotline, 612-254-7776 or email [email protected].
The MnDOT construction website has a page for the Highway 280 project where interested persons can sign up to receive project email updates. Bower said this is the best way to be notified of public meetings.
Anne Holzman is a Twin Cities freelancer writer who covers local government news for the Bugle.
