Our coalition is advocating for continued work to expand US Highway 212 west of Chaska. This stretch of highway includes capacity issues and 2 five-mile bottlenecks that we want to eliminate to both lessen traffic and improve safety on this road. This project is broken down into multiple phases. Information on each phase is available in the images/ PDFs below.
- Phase 1 includes five miles of 4-lane expansion between Chaska and Cologne
- Phase 2 includes five miles of 4-lane expansion between Cologne and Norwood Young America
- Serving 22,000 square miles of rural MN and SD – Primary connector for 65 major freight generators serving travelers from 74 of 87 counties
- Originally constructed in 1930
- Carries more trucks daily (1,900) than the total traffic volume (both cars and trucks) on 40% of Minnesota Highways
- 305 crashes in 10 years; ten fatal, 3 serious
- Only high priority inter-regional corridor in the metro area that still has two-lane segments.
US 212 Project - Dahlgren Township
Carver County is working with local communities and MnDOT to improve a five-mile stretch of Highway 212 in Dahlgren Township. Highway 212 is an important regional connector to jobs, education, healthcare, and each other. It is the backbone for commerce between Southwest Minnesota, South Dakota, and the Twin Cities.
This two-year project will expand Highway 212 from a two-lane to a four-lane highway. Improvements will reduce traffic and freight congestion during peak travel times and address serious safety concerns for drivers and passengers getting on, off, and across Highway 212. The four-lane expansion completes a ‘gap’ in safety and mobility enhancements between Highway 36 in Cologne and Highway 11/Jonathan Carver Parkway in Carver.
US 212 Project - Benton Township
Carver County, in partnership with Benton Township, the Cities of Norwood Young America and Cologne, and MnDOT, are working together to identify and implement transportation system improvements to Highway 212. The overall objective of the project includes approximately 5-miles of safety and capacity improvements along Highway 212 between Highway 34 on east side of the City of Norwood Young America to Highway 36 on the west side of the City of Cologne. The project includes reconstruction and expansion of the highway from a two-lane undivided to a four-lane divided highway. On the both ends, the highway will connect to the existing four-lane divided highway segments, completing the last remaining ‘gap’ in the safety and mobility in the highway corridor from the City of Glencoe to the Twin Cities.
https://www.co.carver.mn.us/departments/public-works/projects-studies/us-212-project-benton-township
US 212 Project - Cologne to Norwood Young America
Carver County, in partnership with Benton Township, the Cities of Norwood Young America and Cologne, and MnDOT, are working on safety and capacity improvements along Highway 212. The project includes reconstruction and expansion of the highway from a two-lane undivided to a four-lane divided highway between Highway 34 on the east side of the City of Norwood Young America to Highway 36 on the west side of the City of Cologne.