2014-00911 - Southwest Light Rail Transit Project: Approved the preliminary design plans for the Green Line Extension that was submitted to the City by the Metropolitan Council on July 10, 2014, in order to fulfill the requirements of Minnesota Statutes, Section 473.3994, Subd. 3.
2015-01124 - Southwest Light Rail Transit (SWLRT) Project: Municipal approval of SWLRT Plans: Approved the preliminary design plans for the Green Line Extension that were submitted to the City of Minneapolis by the Metropolitan Council on July 23, 2015, in order to fulfill the requirements of Minnesota Statutes, Section 473.3994, Subd. 3.

The METRO Green Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) Extension is a regional light rail transit corridor that will serve the communities of Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie. Once completed, the METRO Green Line Extension will directly connect to the METRO Blue Line, to the Northstar Commuter Rail Line, and to the planned METRO Blue Line Extension in Downtown Minneapolis. In August 2014 and again in July of 2015, the County and all five host cities provided municipal consent, approving the preliminary design plans for the METRO Green Line Extension. In July of 2016 the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued its Record of Decision (ROD) and approved the project to enter the Engineering phase. In August of 2016, the Metropolitan Council along with the Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB) and Hennepin County collaborated to secure the local funding match for the project. The Metropolitan Council received bids for construction of the project on May 3, 2018, and formally awarded the construction contract on November 15, 2018. Construction on the METRO Green Line Extension is anticipated to begin during the first quarter of 2019. The application for Full Funding Grant Agreement between the Metropolitan Council and the FTA is anticipated to be approved in early 2019, which will conclude the formal funding process for the project.

The Glenwood Avenue Bridge (No. 27C16) located between Royalston Avenue North and Lyndale Avenue North crosses over property and railroad tracks of the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad. The scope of work for the METRO Green Line Extension includes the removal and replacement of the Glenwood Avenue Bridge. The City of Minneapolis owns and maintains an 8” watermain utility under Glenwood Avenue, crossing onto BNSF property, under the railroad tracks at the location of the bridge. To accommodate the bridge’s reconstruction and to add light rail infrastructure, the Metropolitan Council will be constructing a new watermain that parallels the new bridge in a new location that is on property owned by the BNSF, which requires an easement agreement with BNSF.

The Watermain Easement provides the necessary property rights for construction, operation, maintenance and access to the watermain infrastructure as part of the City’s watermain system.