I-35W Construction Site with Minneapolis Skyline in Background

This construction site sits alongside Interstate 35W near downtown Minneapolis, part of the Minnesota Department of Transportation's stormwater storage facility project. The underground system was designed to capture and hold runoff from the freeway corridor, easing pressure on the city's combined sewer network during heavy rain events. MnDOT and its contractors used tower cranes and deep shaft excavation to build the storage chambers below grade, work that required temporary lane closures and sound barriers along the highway during construction. The downtown skyline, including landmarks like the IDS Center, sits just north of the project site, underscoring how close the infrastructure work is to the city's core.

Photo taken in February 2022.