Feds award MnDOT $138 million to use on EZ Pass lane project in south metro

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is getting $138 million from the federal government to help pay for putting in EZ Pass lanes on Interstate 494 through Edina, Richfield and Bloomington.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced the funding on Monday as part of the latest round of National Infrastructure Project Assistance and Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant programs to improve safety, mobility and economic competitiveness.

A total of $4.2 billion was doled out to 43 other projects across the United States, funded with money from the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda.

“With this latest round of awards, dozens of major and much-needed projects, projects that are often difficult to fund through other means, are getting the long-awaited investments they need to move forward,” Buttigieg said.

In Minnesota, the money will be used to offset the $377 million MnDOT is spending to put in high occupancy toll lanes in both directions between Hwy. 100 and Interstate 35W, rebuilding the I-35W/I-494 interchange, and replacing bridges at 12th, Portland and Nicollet avenues.

“The project will significantly reduce fatalities along the I-494 corridor by lowering congestion and conflict points,” the award summary said. “It will improve freight movement to and from the airport by diverting heavy commercial traffic off the main lanes.”

MnDOT began working on the project last year and is expected to finish it in 2026. The EZ Pass project is one of four the agency is working on or planning to carry out between Hwy. 169 and near Cedar Avenue/Hwy. 77.