TH 212 Design-Build Verification

Eden Prairie, Chanhassen, Chaska, Carver, and Dahlgren, MN

The Trunk Highway 212 project has a long history dating back to the 1950’s. As with most major highway projects, that history has been marked by periods of intense activity and dormancy, colored by both strong advocates and strong opponents, and guided by many changes in funding, regulatory requirements, and public opinion. Through the years though, the need to provide efficient transportation for a rapidly growing population stayed the same. The new alignment for TH 212 was constructed to improve traffic safety, improve capacity, decrease congestion, and create a vital link to the Twin Cities to meet the needs of the southwestern suburbs as Hennepin County and Carver County continue to grow.

This unique design-build project incorporated urban and rural highway design in the Twin Cities metro area along a previously undeveloped highway corridor. The project included seven interchanges, 29 bridges, and multiple waterway crossings. It also included approximately 12 miles of new alignment that runs southwest between Hennepin County State Aid Highway 4 (Eden Prairie Road), and several hundred feet west of Carver County State Aid Highway 147 in Carver, where it reconnects to existing TH 212. The highway runs through the cities of Eden Prairie, Chanhassen, Chaska, Carver, and Dahlgren.

As a member of the Mn/DOT Consultant Verification Team, WSB provided contract administration, change order management, materials and pavement expertise, construction inspection, and materials sampling and testing.

Project Awards:

• Design-Build Institute of America 2009 Best Project – Civil Infrastructure over $50 million
• 2007 AASHTO Value Engineering Award for “Most Value Added Proposal” in the Project Delivery Category

Client: Minnesota Department of Transportation
Completion: 2008

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