ANOKA, Minnesota — Construction for the Highway 10 Anoka project is causing some headaches for neighbors and drivers.
Work started in 2022 to reconstruct and improve roads and bridges on Highway 10 between Thurston Ave. and 7th Ave.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) said, when complete, the project will "improve traffic flow, decrease traffic delays and increase safety."
Crews demolished the Ferry Street bridge in March. The latest ramp closure for Ferry St. happened on June 5 with the ramp from Ferry St. to WB Hwy 10 closing through July.
With all the different road detours and closures, neighbors near the Ferry Street bridge have made some observations.
"I've noticed a lot of people really don't really seem to know what they're doing coming through the construction. It's been pretty confusing. I live on a dead-end road and we've been getting about twice the traffic we normally do," said Devin Sisco, who lives just down the street from the bridge. "They have no idea where they're going. They think that this is another way around because the bridge is out."
There are plenty of signs warning drivers of the bridge closure, including one that reads, "Road closed .5 miles ahead, local traffic only." However, some drivers believe it could be made clearer.
Glah Zelee lives in Golden Valley but traveled to Anoka to visit his brother. He got turned around after trying to cross the bridge and said, "It's kind of confusing. Everybody that comes on this side... no clear direction."
On top of drivers getting confused on Ferry St., Sisco said a 10-minute drive to the grocery store now takes 20 minutes longer because of the closure.
MnDOT wasn't available for an interview on Sunday but on the project website, MnDOT said the new interchanges will provide a "safer and better way to cross Hwy 10."
Cathy Pennaz, who lives on the corner of N. Ferry St. and Maple Ln., said, "I'm not confident. I think it's just going to make it so that they can drive through here faster. So at least they had to stop at a stop sign here. Now they're just going to be able to buzz right through so I think it's actually... going to make it worse. It's going to be scarier out here."
The construction has also impacted Pennaz's home.
"These big, old houses here... every time they do something on these roads, our foundations take a beating from it," Pennaz said. "I had a piece of my coffered ceiling fall down yesterday or Friday because the house shakes so much. It's always something. It shook our water heater off. It bounces so much that it rattled the hot water heater until the pipe broke."
More road and ramp closures are coming but some of them will only last for a few days. You can read all the traffic impacts, here.
MnDOT recommends those headed to the cabin, who normally take Hwy 10, consider taking another route. MnDOT said, "Major work on I-94 is mostly complete between Maple Grove and Clearwater providing two to four lanes in each direction."
The Hwy 10 Anoka project is expected to wrap up by spring 2024.
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