ST. LOUIS PARK - For the first time in 70 years, a busy stretch of the West Metro is getting a makeover.
Through November, the city of St. Louis Park is renovating a 1.5-mile section of Cedar Lake Road, stretching west from Highway 100 toward Louisiana Avenue South. The project, at a total cost of $11 million, will install new pavement, improve sidewalks and pedestrian crossings and even add a roundabout at the corner of Cedar Lake and Zarthan Avenue.
But this is an especially difficult phase of construction for commuters.
Cedar Lake Road under Highway 100 is closed, and the heavily-used commercial intersection at Park Place has been disrupted as crews work hard during the first few stages of the construction process. Both areas of the road are expected to get back to normal on Friday, weather permitting.
John Wiese, who came to get his haircut at the corner of Park Place and Cedar Lake, said he got lost several times trying to navigate detours.
"I know we gotta do infrastructure, but man," Wiese said, "this one is painful."
The traffic backups appear to be impacting several businesses in this area, complicating access to parking lots and making it hard for people to figure out which roads are open and which aren't.
"This is impossible," Wiese said.
Michael Rabin, who works at a business park on Cedar Lake Road, said the construction has been a headache — but he acknowledged the need for the project after all these years.
"We understand," Rabin said. "The roads definitely need to be rebuilt."