MnDOT Considers Closing 16th Street Ramp of Highway 169

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is considering closing the northbound ramp from 16th Street onto Highway 169 in St. Louis Park

The closure is part of MnDOT's long-term safety initiative and would include the building of a visual barrier wall along the east side of Highway 169 from 16th Street south to about Franklin Avenue, where city property ends and the wetland begins.

St. Louis Park staff are reviewing the traffic impact of closing the 16th Street ramp. Open houses and a city council vote will precede a final decision on both projects. 

MnDOT would pay fully for both the ramp closure and the visual barrier wall, with construction starting in late summer.

A Highway 169 Noise Wall

St. Louis Park is also considering a MnDOT proposal to install a noise wall on the east side of Highway 169, from 16th Street north to 14th Street.

The noise wall would cost MnDOT $434,000. St. Louis Park would apply for state aid funding to use for its $43,000 share of the project.

MnDOT will hold an open house on the noise wall near the end of the month. 

Construction would start in late summer, at the same time as for the ramp closure and visual barrier wall.