Due in large part to the efforts of the Coalition, planning is moving forward for the future expansion and reconstruction of Highway 55 from Plymouth to Rockford. Hennepin County and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) have prepared an Environmental Assessment/Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EA/EAW) for the purposes of corridor preservation. The EA/EAW assessed the potential impacts of the project and will help in obtaining federal funding for right of way preservation. Construction on the project is not programmed in the Mn/DOT 20-year plan and, therefore, there is currently no funding designated for construction. However, the EA/EAW and corridor preservation processes will allow construction of the project to proceed efficiently when funding is secured.

The Federal Highway Administration issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for this project on December 30, 2008.

Right-of-way acquisition may now proceed as funding becomes available.

See the Mn/DOT project Web site for more details. Once on the site, click on Environmental Documents for more information on the TH 55 Environmental Assessment and the Finding of No Significant Impact.

See the Mn/DOT project Web site for more details.

The Highway 55 Corridor Coalition allocated $500,000 in federal funds for this project.

Mn/DOT District 3 began work in the summer (2008) on an Environmental Assessment to expand TH 55 to a four-lane expressway between Rockford and Buffalo. An official map has already defined the corridor, but detailed design work and the evaluation of social, economic and environmental impacts must be completed. The full expansion project is not currently funded, but completing the environmental process will allow local jurisictions to preserve the corridor.

Mn/DOT is working with Wright County and City of Buffalo on a project to extend the existing four-lane southeast of Buffalo through the intersection of Wright County Road 134. The TH 55 Coalition has directed funding toward this project, which will add almost a mile of four-lane and a traffic signal at the intersection of TH 55 and Co. Rd. 134. Construction on this project started in late Summer 2008. Construction resumed in the Spring of 2009 with completion later this summer.

The Highway 55 Corridor Coalition allocated $1,897,439 in federal funding for this improvement.

The City of Plymouth has completed work in 2008 to add additional turn lanes and access control on Fernbrook Lane and TH 55. This improvement will improve traffic flow through the intersection and improve safety on the Fernbrook Lane approaches to the TH 55 intersection.

The Highway 55 Corridor Coalition allocated $675,000 in federal funding for this improvement.

Wright County and MnDOT have awarded a contract to improve the intersection of CSAH 12 and TH 55 including the installation of a traffic signal. This improvement will improve the safety of the intersection that is near to the new elementary school that opened in 2006. The project started in the Spring of 2009 and will be completed later this year.

The Highway 55 Corridor Coalition allocated $380,000 in federal funds for this improvement.

The TH 55 construction project in Buffalo from 200 feet east of the TH25 intersection to 1600 feet west of County Road 134 was started in May of 2004. It was completed in late summer 2005. The project construction cost was approximately $9.5 million dollars.

This segment of TH 55 was converted to an urban 4-lane divided highway. The temporary wood pole signals were replaced with permanent signal systems at the reconstructed intersections.

CSAH 35 was also relocated as part of this project. The City of Buffalo also upgraded added water and sanitary pipelines along the project corridor.

Traffic congestion on TH 55 prior and during construction in Buffalo	Aerial view of completed segment of TH 55 in Buffalo