Minnesota Department of Transportation

511 Travel Info

Highway 252/I-94 Environmental Review

Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park and Minneapolis

We are evaluating five specific combinations, including MnDOT’s recommendation, and incorporating all your feedback from our recent public engagement efforts that ended July 2025. Thank you for all of your comments from our series of public meetings, pop-ups and an online survey. In the meantime, check out the access combination website to learn more or review the recommended options we shared earlier this summer. We will be making periodic updates to the access combinations website as they become available.

About this study

Highway 252/I-94 study area map in Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park and Minneapolis

Hwy 252/I-94 environmental review location map.

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Hwy 252 and I-94 in Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park and north Minneapolis need improvements and repairs. The area experiences high crash rates, heavy traffic, and unsafe conditions for people walking, biking, and rolling—impacting both commuters and nearby communities.

To find a solution, we will continue the refinement of design options that were recommended to move forward in the environmental process. During this study, we will work closely with the community, local partners and federal agencies to gain a better understanding of how safety and transportation needs are being addressed with the design options and how they might impact  the environment in surrounding communities, including the people, plants, animals, water, air, buildings, and structures.

From 2020-2023, we evaluated numerous design options using evaluation criteria that measure how well a design will meet the project’s needs. Technical analysis and feedback from the cities, FHWA and various stakeholders were also part of the process to narrow down the possible design options. From this evaluation, several design options on Hwy 252 and I-94 were recommended to move forward for further evaluation.

In 2024 through 2026, we will be analyzing and gathering community feedback on the recommended Hwy 252 and I-94 designs options to determine which combinations should move forward into final design.

Next steps

Ongoing engagement:

Improvements for people walking, biking, and rolling: Refining the options for better walking, biking, and rolling conditions over or across I-94.

Phase 2: Fall 2026

Later this fall, the project team will release the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for public review and input. The Draft EIS will present all ten corridor alternatives and the no build alternative and identify the preferred alternative for this corridor. These alternatives will focus on: 

  • Determine number of lanes: Analyze how many lanes Hwy 252 and I-94 should have 
  • Assess environmental impacts: Evaluate potential effects related to noise, air quality, and other environmental factors  

While the formal public comment period will occur during the Draft EIS review, the project team welcomes feedback at any time. During this time, there will also be an opportunity to vote on noise walls evaluated for the identified preferred alternative; more information about noise wall workshops and the evaluation process can be found on the Health webpage.

For more ways to stay involved or share input, please visit the Meetings webpage and Contacts webpage.

All dates are approximate and subject to change.

Project purpose and objectives

Purpose

“The purpose of the Hwy 252/I-94 Project is to improve the safe and reliable movement of people and goods across multiple modes on and across Hwy 252 and I-94 between Hwy 610 and North 4th Street in Minneapolis.”

View the Purpose and Need document or Purpose and Need Summary for more information.

Objectives (desired outcomes)

  1. Achieve equitable social, environmental, and economic outcomes.
  2. Reduce injuries and fatalities associated with crashes along Hwy 252 and I-94.
  3. Support reliable transit service through operational improvements.
  4. Minimize the need to acquire additional property.
  5. Ensure solutions are consistent with your local government’s planning and are compatible with the existing roadway network.

View the Project Objectives document or Project Objectives Summary for more information.

Project funding

We and our partners have identified funding opportunities for some proposed project features and areas, including:

In addition to these funding opportunities, we and our project partners have identified funding in its capital programs to support the effort.