MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | MnDOT Opens Survey on Future of Congested I-694 Corridor From Brooklyn Center to Arden Hills

BROOKLYN CENTER, MN (July 28, 2026). The Minnesota Department of Transportation is asking drivers, residents, businesses and transit users to help shape future improvements along a nine-mile section of Interstate 694 between Brooklyn Center and Arden Hills.

The study covers I-694 from Brooklyn Boulevard in Brooklyn Center to Lexington Avenue in Arden Hills. The corridor travels through or alongside several northern Twin Cities communities, including Brooklyn Center, Fridley, New Brighton, Columbia Heights, Shoreview and Arden Hills.

MnDOT describes the section as one of the most heavily traveled and congested corridors in the metropolitan area. Drivers experience delays throughout the day, while several locations have crash rates above the average for comparable roadways.

The department is also examining safety and connectivity for people who walk, bicycle, use mobility devices or travel between neighborhoods divided by the freeway.

Survey and Comment Map Available

Members of the public can participate through an online survey and an interactive comment map. Both will remain available through Tuesday, August 18.

The comment map allows participants to identify specific locations where they experience congestion, difficult merges, unsafe crossings, poor pavement, inadequate signage or barriers to walking and bicycling.

MnDOT said the study will:

• Document existing traffic, safety and infrastructure conditions.
• Consult residents, businesses and community organizations.
• Identify safety and connectivity needs for different users.
• Develop options responding to those needs.
• Examine possible funding sources, timelines and implementation processes.
• Recommend short-term and long-term improvements.

The study is not an announcement of a funded construction project. It is an early planning process intended to identify problems and establish which improvements should receive additional study.

Virtual Meeting Scheduled August 12

MnDOT will hold a virtual public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 12. Participants can learn about existing conditions, describe their experiences using I-694 and ask questions of the study team.

Registration is available through the official MnDOT study page.

Residents can also meet the project team at several community events. MnDOT will hold a pop-up session from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 28, during the Fridley Concert Series at the Fridley Civic Campus Amphitheater, 7071 University Avenue NE.

Another pop-up is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, August 11, during New Brighton Park Discovery Days at Innsbruck Park, 1150 27th Avenue NW.

Why the Corridor Matters

I-694 is a major connection between the northwestern and northeastern Twin Cities. It carries commuters, freight traffic and residents traveling between I-94, Highway 100, Highway 252, I-35W and I-35E.

Congestion or a serious collision along the corridor can affect traffic well beyond the immediate location, pushing vehicles onto local streets in Brooklyn Center, Fridley, Columbia Heights, New Brighton and neighboring communities.

Future recommendations could address interchange design, merging patterns, pavement, bridge conditions, transit movement, pedestrian crossings, bicycle connections and access between communities. MnDOT has not yet selected any particular improvement.

People who require an American Sign Language interpreter, foreign-language interpreter, braille, large-print material or another accessible format may contact MnDOT at ADArequest.dot@state.mn.us or 651-366-4720. Minnesota Relay users may call 711.

Sources: MnDOT I-694 study; MnDOT online survey; FOX 9; KARE 11

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