Innovations on Managed Lanes in Minnesota

Abstract

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has introduced several innovations to managed lanes on the Interstate 35W (I-35W) corridor including: freeway shoulder operations; active traffic management featuring intelligent lane control signals; in-pavement lighting; and, variable advisory speed limits. I-35W is a unique test bed for deployment of features that expand the concept of managed lanes across all freeway lanes and shoulders and builds upon experience from I-394 MnPASS, as well as learning from other domestic and international projects. Strategies being implemented seek to reduce congestion, preserve and enhance transit and high occupancy vehicle (HOV) capacity, and employ variable priced optional tolling with state-of-the art technology. In the long run, a key outcome anticipated in the I-35W managed lanes projects will be the ability to demonstrate how MnDOT and other transportation authorities can safely add more capacity and enhance performance within the existing highway footprint. Through the U.S. DOT’s Urban Partnership Program, Minnesota has been given a unique opportunity to innovate, test and evaluate creative traffic management ideas with significant potential to set the stage for future implementations and to pass along this important learning to other parts of the country.