Hodgson Road Corridor Reconstruction and Safety Improvements

As a critical north-south link between I-694 and Ramsey CSAH 96, Hodgson Road provides regional connectivity for residents and businesses in the cities of Shoreview and Vadnais Heights. Due to local topography and residential neighborhoods, there are minimal alternative north-south routes that can effectively move traffic in this area.

Planning & Public Engagement for Long-Term Solutions

Since the early 2000s, Ramsey County had been actively studying the busy Hodgson Road 1.5-mile corridor. When the county received MnDOT turnback funding for the reconstruction of the corridor, the staff from the cities of Shoreview and Vadnais Heights and the county began engaging the public on plans for the street reconstruction, including the reconstruction of County Road F between Rice Street and Hodgson Road.

The existing bituminous pavement was deteriorated and well beyond its useful life. Underground infrastructure, including sanitary sewer and water mains, also required complete replacement. The corridor functioned as a two-lane rural roadway with shoulders, lacking modern safety features such as sidewalks, trails, and pedestrian crossings.

Project goals included: 

• Completely reconstruct the roadway, replacing aging pavement.
• Reconfigure the existing rural roadway to a new urban section with curb and gutter and storm sewer.
• Develop construction staging that minimizes disruption and detours.
• Minimize permanent and temporary right-of-way impacts.
• Improve safety and traffic operations.
• Develop a three-lane roadway section to more safely accommodate residents, using channelization where necessary.
• Improve pedestrian and bike accommodations with the addition of a new multiuse trail and sidewalk.
• Upgrade public utilities for the City of Shoreview, including the replacement of aging sanitary sewer and water main and extension of new sewer and water services to 90 property owners.
• Improve the signalized intersection of Snail Lake Road and Rice Street/Gramsie Road.

Safer Design & Improved Mobility

Ramsey County led the street and utility reconstruction, beginning final design, ROW acquisition, and construction in 2022. The corridor was transformed through:

• A three-lane urban roadway with channelization to calm traffic
• An 8-foot trail on the west and a 5-foot sidewalk on the east, both ADA-compliant
• A new roundabout at Gramsie Road and Hodgson Road, replacing a signalized intersection

These improvements reflect a balanced approach to roadway engineering and traffic solutions, enhancing mobility, safety, and community access throughout the corridor.

Resource Links:
Ramsey County Public Works
City of Shoreview
City of Vadnais Heights

Internal Category
Roadways
Construction Administration and Observation
Real Estate

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