Roads and bridges

Sunset Drive reconstruction

County Road 51 in Spring Park

Hennepin County, the cities of Spring Park and Orono, and Three Rivers Park District, are working together to reconstruct Sunset Drive (County Road 51) between Shoreline Drive (County Road 15) and Shadywood Road (County Road 19).

Construction is anticipated to begin in 2026.

Final design

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

We have refined our designs based on input and now have final designs for the project.

Final designs for Sunset Drive (PDF, 6MB)

With these designs, people using Sunset Drive after it is reconstructed 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 crossing the roadway
New alignment for the Dakota Rail Regional Trail for better regional trail connections

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

Project information and past engagement

Project overview

Hennepin County is working with the cities of Spring Park and Orono and Three Rivers Park District to redesign Sunset Drive (County Road 51) between Spring Street and Shadywood Road (County Road 19).

The existing roadway and underground utilities have not been updated for more than 50 years. The roadway lacks curbs and gutters along the corridor to provide adequate drainage. Sunset Drive in its current design is not well suited for people walking, rolling and biking, and lacks curbs and gutters needed to help manage stormwater. The best way to address this is through a road reconstruction project.

When we reconstruct Sunset Drive in 2026, we will replace the aging roadway and underground utilities, as well as add curbs and gutters. We also want to make improvements that meet present and future needs of the corridor.

Engagement history

Here are some key themes we heard from you over the course of multiple rounds of feedback:

Excitement for the addition of a walking facility and improved aesthetics
Questions about layout of boulevard and other features
Desire for sewer, water, electrical, and lighting upgrades

Past engagement events

2024 open house

On May 16, project staff hosted an open house with a presentation about the final designs to the project.

2023 engagement

Open house

On October 3, project staff hosted an open house with a presentation about the updated designs to the project.

Pop-up event

Project staff held a pop-up event on June 24 on the Dakota Rail Regional Trail near the southwest corner of the Northern Avenue and Sunset Drive intersection along the bike trail. This was the first time we presented the preferred design to the public. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to ask questions and discuss the project.

Online open house

Using input from 2021 and the project goals, staff developed initial design options for Sunset Drive and shared those designs at a live online open house on February 23.

The purpose of the open house was to summarize what feedback has been gathered so far, what the initial designs look like, discuss plans for the community to provide future feedback and answer any questions attendees have on the design options presented.

Watch the video recording of the open house (YouTube)

2021 engagement

Online open house

Project staff hosted a live online open house on November 15, to share information about the project. The purpose of the open house was to hear from people who live, work, visit local businesses on Sunset Drive and use it as a connector to better understand existing concerns and needs to help inform a design that best reflects community needs.

Other 2021 engagement

During 2021, we connected with people who live, work and visit local businesses on Sunset Drive. We developed a four-part email series called to help people better understand the work we are undertaking. We held community pop-up events and an open house. We also shared an online comment map so you could pinpoint the challenges you experience, concerns you have and future needs of your community.

We developed initial design options for Sunset Drive using your input and feedback.