Cedar Lake Parkway reopens in Minneapolis after being closed more than a year
Construction at the Cedar Lake Parkway (Image courtesy of the Met Council)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Cedar Lake Parkway in Minneapolis has reopened to cyclists, pedestrians and motorists after being closed for more than a year due to ongoing construction and delays in the Southwest Light Rail Project.
The parkway's closure was necessitated by the construction of the portion of the Kenilworth light rail tunnel that runs beneath the roadway, according to a Tuesday announcement from the Metropolitan Council. The council said the work in this area presented unique challenges because of the sequence of construction activities, limited access to the workspace, and the ongoing operations of the adjacent freight rail corridor.
The parkway is set to close briefly again once the tunnel is completed, to finalize the location of the freight rail track and conclude construction. This is anticipated to occur in 2027.
The Southwest Light Rail Project (SWLRT), also known as the Green Line Extension, aims to extend the Green Line from Minneapolis to Eden Prairie. However, the project has encountered issues with delays and cost overruns. In March, the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) found that the Met Council, which supervises the construction, exceeded its initial budget for the project and failed to hold its contractor accountable for not providing an acceptable project schedule.
Audit says Met Council failed to manage rising costs of Southwest LRT project
The Metropolitan Council is taking heat once again for its management of the Southwest Light Rail Train project. A new audit finds the agency failed to hold contractors accountable for rising costs, and the audit questions the Met Council's oversight.