KARE 11

By Bill Strande

JORDAN, Minn. — Road construction isn't something many people dream about, unless you've been talking about it for decades.

“Throughout the decades, 26 council members, six mayors, and six city administrators have contributed their name, time, and energy, and leadership to the vision of what we have here today," said Jordan Mayor Travis Fremming.

Fremming is talking about the new Hwy 169 and Hwy 282/County Road 9 interchange. 

“This project is truly transformative by enhancing regional connectivity, the interchange will open the door to development opportunities within approximately 1,300 acres within the city limits," Fremming said.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, U.S. Representative Angie Craig along with other city and county leaders, attended the official groundbreaking ceremony.

Officials said it will improve safety, accessibility and traffic flow for drivers and pedestrians.

"This is exactly the kind of disruption that we can and should celebrate," said former Jordan Mayor Mike Franklin at the ceremony. "Because when this interchange is complete, it will be transformative. We believe obviously for Jordan, for Scott County, for our region, and for Minnesota."

Construction will include two bridges, two roundabouts, a pedestrian tunnel, sidewalks, retaining/noise walls and large drainage culverts.

State Representative Ben Bakeberg is also the principal at Jordan Middle School. He said he's especially excited about the pedestrian underpass that will be built.

“There were countless days that we had kids walk into school with their feet wet and I was like ‘what in the world is going on,’ and eventually kids shared while they’re cutting under the bridge they fall into the creek," he said.

The project will get rid of traffic light at Highways 169 and 282. MnDOT said this is the last remaining traffic light along this stretch between St. Peter and Champlain.

Over the years, that stretch of Highway 169 has seen several crashes and wrecks. 

“This is about public safety. This is about the safety of Scott County residents. We have far too many stories of tragic accidents that have happened here," said State Senator Eric Pratt.

“There’ve been hundreds of crashes at this intersection including 58 crashes between 2022-2024 alone," Klobuchar said.

“I run this on an regular basis, proceed with absolute caution because you just never know. You’ve got highway speeds on one end coming out of a town on another. Safety is paramount to say the least, that’s an understatement," said Chair of the Scott County Board of Commissioners Dave Beer. “It’s huge like you can’t put a number, you can’t put a price or anything like that on the safety of this particular intersection."

Beer said a lot of money from the state, county, and federal government was put into this project, which was echoed by Walz.

“There is a lot of money invested across the board into this to make sure this interchange does what it’s supposed to do," Walz said. 

Officials also said constructing a new interchange will give the area an economic boost.

“It’s also as it was mentioned vitally important to our Scott County economic development. Half of the agricultural product in the state of Minnesota at some point in time travels on 169 and this is a throughway to the Ports of Savage which get our grains across the world," Pratt said.

“If we have bad roads it affects everyone because then our farmers or our manufacturers that want to sell stuff all over the country, allover the world, can’t get their goods to market," Klobuchar said.

“The interchange will serve as a vital freight corridor facilitating the efficient movement of goods and reinforcing Jordan’s role in a broader statewide economy," Fremming said.

Officials say the project will bridge the divide between businesses on side of the highway and homes on the other side. They say it will create better connections for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Hwy 169 will remain open to traffic during construction.

According to Jordan's Facebook page, sheet pile driving begins Wednesday while construction of the pedestrian underpass is "ramping up."

MnDOT crews said the pile driving of the steel plates or "sheet piles" into the ground east of Highway 169 could be disruptive. If Jordan residents live or work in the area, they should expect intermittent periods of noise, including "intense impulsive sounds, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m." Crews will also begin building a retaining wall in this same area. Work on the retaining wall will continue through the fall.

Meanwhile, the nearby Riesgraf Lions Park parking lot will be closed through autumn to help keep the public a safe distance from construction. If residents use the green space at the park, they are asked to "please stay east of the pavilion."

The project is scheduled to be completed in 2027.