Sunset Drive reconstruction

Hennepin County, in coordination with the City of Spring Park, is making it safer and easier to travel on Sunset Drive. From summer 2026 through 2027, we will reconstruct the road between Shoreline Drive (County Road 15) and Shadywood Road (County Road 19).

Full size Sunset Drive reconstruction project map (PNG, 1MB)

Construction updates

Dates are tentative and subject to change.

June

Utility companies have started work on Sunset Drive between Shadywood Road (County Road 19) and Shoreline Drive (County Road 15). To complete this work, utility crews plan to close Sunset Drive to through traffic between Shoreline Drive and just north of Park Lane as early as Wednesday, June 10.

Utility work is not done by Hennepin County. Instead power, gas, telecom, phone, and cable service providers temporarily close lanes to safely relocate their lines in advance of road construction. For information about utility work, contact the service provider directly.

Once utility work is complete, Hennepin County crews will begin work to reconstruct Sunset Drive between Shoreline Drive and Park Lane. We will share more information at a later date.

Using Sunset Drive during construction

We’re working to minimize impacts and any disruptions while we complete improvements on Sunset Drive. If you live, work, or visit a business along or near Sunset Drive, you will have access to your entrance.

Walking or rolling

You will have access to Sunset Drive. Our crews will provide temporary access routes for you to get around the construction area.

Driving or biking

You can use Shadywood Road (County Road 19) and Shoreline Drive (County Road 15) as a detour route during construction.

Living or working near the construction area

If your home or business is directly in the project area, Sunset Drive will be open for local access. If construction affects access to a business, we’ll provide an alternative route. Contact the project team if you have any specific concerns.

About the project

When this project is complete, people using Sunset Drive 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 cross the road
• New alignment for the Dakota Rail Regional Trail for better regional trail connections

There will be other improvements, such as buried utilities, new sanitary sewer and new watermain infrastructure.

Community involvement

Through a multi-year and targeted outreach effort, county staff gathered feedback about the project. We shared features and basic layouts. We met people in person and online. All with a focus on key goals of the project:

• Incorporating new multi-modal features focused on safety and mobility  
• Improving traffic flow
• Improving connectivity by adding trail access

Final designs for Sunset Drive (PDF, 6MB)