Busy Year Ahead: Multiple Highway 169 Projects in Jordan Area Get Underway
By Ryan Dahnert
The Highway 169 corridor around Jordan will be bustling over the next year with two major construction projects underway, and a third scheduled to begin in the spring of 2025.
The first project is an interchange located southwest of Jordan at Highway 169 and County Highway (CH) 59 (Delaware Ave.) in St. Lawrence Township. The second is an overpass at Highway 169 and Bluff Drive/Jordan Ave. in Sand Creek Township. The final project is an interchange at Highway 169 and Highway 282/CH 9 in the city of Jordan that will get underway next Spring.
Highway 169 & CH 59 Interchange
Planning for this interchange dates back to 2003, when it was identified as a need in both MnDOT’s State Highway 169 Corridor Management Plan and Scott County’s TH 169 Frontage Road and Interchange Study. According to Scott County’s project website, the purpose of the interchange is to provide “safe access to existing and future commercial destinations and a southern connection to the City of Jordan.”
The project includes a folded diamond interchange, frontage roads, and stormwater improvements. S.M. Hentges & Sons of Jordan was awarded the contract at a cost of $12,786,329.33, with funding coming entirely from the Scott County Transportation Sales Tax. Current work is focused on constructing the bridge abutments and the frontage road on the north side of Highway 169. The interchange is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2025.
Highway 169 & Bluff Drive/Jordan Ave. Overpass
According to the project’s website, the purpose of the overpass at Highway 169 and Bluff Drive/Jordan Ave. is to improve corridor safety, access management, mobility, connectivity, and accessibility. The overpass will allow traffic to cross over Highway 169 and access right-turn-only points to northbound and southbound Highway 169 at West 166th Street.
The project was awarded to Kraemer North America, LLC at a cost of $9,710,306.89. Funding is being provided by the Scott County Transportation Sales Tax ($8,841,319.33), Sand Creek Township ($190,638.49), and MnDOT ($678,349.07). MnDOT also previously completed related frontage road work, which totaled about $500,000.
Construction began in late September, with current efforts focused on local access roads, utility relocation, and the eastern bridge abutment. Project completion is scheduled for the fall of 2025.
Highway 169 & Hwy 282/CR 9 Interchange
Construction on the interchange at Highway 169 and Highway 282/CR 9 in the City of Jordan is being led by MnDOT and is set to begin next spring, with work continuing through 2027. For three years, traffic on Highway 169 in this area will be reduced to a single lane in each direction. This $49 million project aims to improve safety and traffic flow, reduce congestion, and enhance drainage.
In addition to the interchange, the project will include the construction of a roundabout at CR 9 and Syndicate Street, another roundabout at CR 9 and 190th Street/Valley View Drive, a pedestrian tunnel under Highway 169, and noise walls on both sides of the highway.
These infrastructure improvements along Highway 169 promise to enhance safety, accessibility, and traffic flow for the growing Jordan area. As construction progresses over the next few years, local residents and commuters can expect short-term disruptions but long-term benefits from these projects. Stay tuned for more updates as each project reaches key milestones.