East Twin Cities

Washington County officials recently unveiled a new $32 million partial-cloverleaf design interchange at Minnesota 36 and Manning Avenue. 

The current interchange, known for its bad traffic and accidents, will be rebuilt in 2021 in hopes to alleviate those problems.

County transportation officials worked alongside representatives of Minnesota Department of Transportation, Grant, Lake Elmo, Oak Park Heights, Stillwater and Stillwater Township to reach an agreement on the final design, Washington County project manager Nathan Arnold told the Twin Cities Pioneer Press.

“We think we’ve come up with the best design for today’s traffic and into the future,” he said.

The new construction is projected to take up to a year “to be functionally back open and for everyone to be able to use it as intended,” Arnold said. “We’re anticipating a minimal amount of impact to traffic on 36; Manning may be closed for some period of time.”

Arnold said that the project looks to address a number of issues with the intersection, including relocating the existing frontage to the north. The trail that currently runs along the east side of Manning will be extended across a new bridge over Minnesota 36.

With traffic up nearly 20% since the opening of the St. Croix Bridge in 2018, the highway sees an average of 42,000 vehicles per day. Those numbers are expected to reach upwards of 49,000 or more by the year 2040 and “could potentially could rise to almost 60,000 with full development in the area,” Arnold said.

Late last year the Minnesota Department of Transportation issued a $10 million grant to help fund the project.

The Washington County Government Center in Stillwater is hosting an open house for the public to learn more about the project March 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. in Lower Level Room 16.