Hennepin County - Sunset Drive Road Construction Project
Hennepin County is partnering with the cities of Spring Park, Orono, and the Three Rivers Park District, to reconstruct Sunset Drive (County Road 51) between Spring Street (south of Country Road 15) and Shadywood Road (County Road 19). Construction is anticipated to begin in Spring of 2026.
A reconstruction project like this allows us to replace the aging roadway and underground utilities as well as re-envision the corridor. Hennepin County's goals for the project include:
- incorporating new multi-modal features focused on safety and mobility.
- improving traffic flow
- improving connectivity by adding trail access for convenience and safety
With these designs, people using Sunset Drive after it is reconstructed will notice:
- Striped medians and other traffic calming measures for a safer, smoother flow of traffic through the area
- Sidewalks along the corridor for people walking
- Paved shoulders for bicycles to be separated from vehicle traffic
- A concrete median between Shoreline Drive and Northern Avenue to help people crossing the roadway
- New alignment for the Dakota Rail Regional Trail for better regional trail connections
There will be other improvements, such as buried utilities and sanitary sewer and watermain infrastructure replacement conducted as well.