Pole position: Lake Street upgrades turn sidewalks into Uptown obstacle course

Welcome to Up— (bonk)

Welcome to Uptow—(bonk)

Welcome to Uptown! Look out for the poles.

Dozens of wooden posts have sprung up along bustling Minneapolis sidewalks. In the long term, the temporary obstacle course is part of renovations to Lake Street and Lagoon Avenue that Metro Transit says will make the area “a safer and more welcoming environment for all users.” The once-bustling district has faced an identity crisis in recent years, with wave after wave of prominent business closures.

So in the short term, pedestrians: phones down, heads up.

Lake Street is in the middle of Metro Transit’s $65 million METRO B Line project – a rapid bus line intended to whisk commuters along Marshall Avenue to Lake Street, past the hole in the ground where the Kmart used to be, and down Lagoon to France Avenue.

The project calls for better sidewalks, bike lanes, signals and other roadway improvements. The 50 to 60 temporary poles along the route will support wires and infrastructure while things shift during construction.

Pedestrians and people in wheelchairs should be able to navigate around most of the poles, Metro Transit reports. Staff did identify one post near Lagoon and Humbolt that blocked the sidewalk. That stretch closed over the weekend and will reopen in mid-April, with the temporary post shifted out of the path.

Work on the B Line should wrap up in 2025. If you have concerns in the meantime, make a beeline for the construction hotline at 651-356-6995.