Background

In partnership with the city of Apple Valley and the city of Bloomington, we conducted a study on Hwy 77/Cedar Ave. between 138th St. in Apple Valley and I-494 in Richfield. The study began in December 2020 and was completed in June 2022. The purpose of the study was to evaluate Hwy 77/Cedar Ave. to identify potential congestion mitigation concepts.

The study was initiated in response to recurring congestion, crash history and reliability issues experienced along the road. The study was timed to provide for the possibility of incorporating some improvements into the pavement resurfacing project scheduled for 2026.

Study findings

We identified several key needs along the road during the study, including:

Pavement conditions

Pavement throughout the corridor is deteriorating
Current conditions range from “fair” to “good”
Without maintenance, pavement will continue to worsen more quickly

Vehicle mobility

Traffic demand is higher than the road can currently support
Drivers, buses and trucks experience delays and travel time is unreliable
Congestion is expected to increase in the future

Pedestrian and bicycle crossings

Hwy 77 creates a barrier for walkers, bikers and bus users
Most crossings have sidewalks on at least one side
There are opportunities to improve safety and connectivity at several crossings

Bridges

There are 30 bridge structures in the Hwy 77 area from 138th St. to I-494
Three are older and nearing the end of their service life
Regular maintenance will continue to be needed

Study documents

View the Hwy 77 Congestion Mitigation Study Executive Summary (PDF). The executive summary provides a list of technical reports that provide detailed documentation of analysis that makes up the Hwy 77 Congestion Mitigation study. The reports are available by request.