New I-35W HO/T lanes open this morning

[froggie]

MnDOT news release  and a StarTribune article

The new HO/T lanes on I-35W opened this morning in two separate stretches.

First was conversion of the existing I-35W HOV lanes in Burnsville and Bloomington to HO/T lanes.  These lanes run northbound from Burnsville Pkwy to I-494, and southbound from I-494 to just north of MN 13.  The lanes will be tolled northbound between 6-10am and southbound between 2-7pm, being open to all traffic otherwise.

The second stretch is a "dynamic shoulder lane", where MnDOT converted the inside shoulder northbound from 42nd St to downtown to a HO/T lane.  This lane will only be open during rush hour or as needed during other periods of congestion.

Once the Crosstown Commons reconstruction is complete, the two northbound segments will be connected, and the southbound lane will be extended north to 42nd St.

I also have it on good authority that MnDOT is already planning a southward extension of the HO/T lanes.  They're looking at extending the beginning of the northbound HO/T lane south from Burnsville Pkwy to just north of the I-35E/I-35W split (but not into/through the split).  Construction is anticipated for 2011-12.

[WISFreeways]

Finally they're helping that very old and bottlenecked section of I-35W