Project Manager Newsletter
December 2024
Welcome to the belated, last PM Newsletter of 2024. As 2025 gets underway, I wanted to summarize the year and preview what is coming this year.
2024 was a year of changes and milestones for the Hwy 252/I-94 environmental study as it found us beginning a new chapter with myself as the new project manager; the federal Notice of Intent (April 15-May 15) process, the start of the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) analysis (June 20), summer and fall engagement events (started in July), and MnDOT’s analysis on Phase 1A – whether Hwy 252 goes over or under the local roadways.
In the January 2024 newsletter, I mentioned my goals of transparency and collaboration as we work together to choose an alternative that works the best for everyone on the Hwy 252 and I-94 corridors. I have spent much of the year getting to know your issues and building relationships while striving for transparency and collaboration. It has been a great pleasure to talk with you all, listen to your experiences with Hwy 252 and your thoughts on what needs to change. I look forward to many more conversations to come.
Engagement was a key focus this year as well since updating the engagement plan last winter. We began reaching out to all of you starting in April with the Notice of Intent, the engagement events as part of the first phase of the draft EIS, and many more.
2025 will bring more engagement events including Table Talks, which are planned as community discussions where we further explore a particular topic of interest. The first one will tackle environmental justice and equity and is planned for January 29. More will follow each month on a different topic. Stay tuned for more information coming soon.
We are also going to start holding community office hours where anyone can come in and chat with me or others from the project team. Community office hours will be held monthly at various locations in the communities. More information will be coming on dates and times soon.
2025 will also bring more work on the phases of the draft EIS. MnDOT will announce next steps from our engagement and analysis from Phase 1A sometime in the first few months of 2025. Additionally, the project team will share data from the evaluation of Phase 1B, where we start determining where access will go on Hwy 252. Phase 2 will determine the number of lanes on Hwy 252 and I-94.
The next phases will involve a lot of data and analysis, and the project team and I will do our best to communicate plainly.
As 2024 comes to a close, thank you all for your passion, enthusiasm, and commitment to improving these two highways. Please keep sending in your comments and questions.