A major upgrade to Highway 5 between Victoria and Chanhassen will get underway next year, disrupting traffic flow along the stretch for the better part of two years.
A contractor will be selected on Dec. 16 and will lead the expansion of Highway 5 to four lanes from just east of Highway 41 into downtown Victoria, a three-and-a-half-mile section of the highway. It will be a divided roadway with curb and gutter installed. Currently that stretch is a two-lane, rural roadway with shoulders and ditches.
According to Eric Johnson, Transportation Division leader with consultant Bolton & Menk, Inc., the daily traffic count along that stretch exceeds 20,000 vehicles.
“Generally, the tipping point for a two-lane is something like 15,000 to 18,000 cars a day, and then it’s over capacity,” Johnson reported. “We have backups every day during peak hours.”
Today, during the evening rush hour, it takes motorists an average of 24 minutes to travel from Interstate 494 to Victoria, according to Johnson.
“When we’re done with Highway 5, that trip will take 18 minutes,” Johnson said. “So, we’re going to have a 25% reduction in travel time on that trip, because there will no longer be a bottleneck from Highway 41 going west.”
He admitted that a new bottleneck will develop in downtown Victoria, but that issue will be corrected with planned projects in the future.
“We’re actively pursuing funding for this downtown segment to finish the vision,” Johnson said.
Among the extra features along Highway 5 are a roundabout at Commercial Avenue in Victoria; a new 78th Street pedestrian bridge; a new signal at Minnewashta Parkway; an upgrade for the Highway 41 intersection; and a pier-supported roadway through the Lake Minnewashta area wetlands.
To ensure the stability of Highway 5 through the Lake Minnewashta area, Johnson said the plan is to install hundreds of piers into the soil below. The original plan was to construct an 1,800-foot bridge through that area, but that idea proved too expensive.
Additional upgrades on adjacent roadways and trails are also part of the overall 2026-27 project — part of the master Arboretum Area Transportation Plan which seeks to address capacity issues in the growing southwest Twin Cities metro area.
Among those upgrades are a new intersection at Rolling Acres Road; Rolling Acres Road and Tamarack Trail roundabout; Rolling Acres Road improvements; and a new Rolling Acres Road and Interlaken roundabout.
Because Rolling Acres Road is the shortest access between Highway 5 and Highway 7, Johnson said the county road is heavily traveled.
“Over 85% of the people on that road are speeding,” he noted. “And the crash rate on that road is three times the state average for what we would expect. There’s a lack of turn lanes, there’s a lack of shoulders, there’s a lack of sight distance. When we are done, we’re trying to lower the speeds by design.”
Additionally, new pedestrian underpasses at Madelyn Creek Trail and Tamarack Trail will provide easier access to the trail system in the area.
“We’re adding a lot of missing trail links,” Johnson said. “We’re completing the network of trails — the Lake Minnetonka Regional Trail, the Highway 5 Regional Trail, and all the trails in Chaska. I think it’s a big leap forward in connecting the non-motorized users in this area.”
In addition, the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is constructing a new entrance off of Highway 5 toward downtown Victoria.
Total cost of the Highway 5 project is expected to be about $122 million, according to Johnson. About $100 million is being paid for through various federal and state funding sources.
“We’ve secured eight federal and four state grants,” he said. “That’s quite amazing. We’ve minimized the actual cost to the local partners greatly.”
KEEPING TRAFFIC FLOWING
As construction kicks off next spring, Highway 5 will remain open to traffic at all times but will be limited to one lane in each direction at the Highway 41 intersection.
“That will cause some issues,” Johnson said, “but it will remain open.”
For all of 2026, crews will focus on getting the adjacent north/south portions of the overall project completed. Signed detours will guide motorists along the north/south routes.
All of the roadways will open back up for the 2026-27 winter season. Then, in the spring of 2027, Highway 5 will close to traffic as the expansion begins in earnest.
“Highway 5 — from the Arboretum entrance all the way to downtown Victoria — will be closed all summer in 2027,” he noted. Officials hope to have the roadwork in Victoria completed by the Fourth of July holiday. The remainder of Highway 5 is scheduled to be completed by Labor Day in 2027.
“There will be some cleanup work that spills into 2028, but two years from now, traffic should be fully functional on the new system,” Johnson said.
Carver County is planning to hold a public open house sometime in March 2026 to discuss the construction plans and expected detour routes with area residents. Follow the project website for more information.
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING
Carver County approved a transportation sales tax in 2017 to help fund needed projects as the population totals rose throughout the southwest metro area.
In 2019, Bolton & Menk, Inc. was competitively selected to work with the county on the Arboretum Area Transportation Plan, with a focus on Highway 5. The eventual plan was completed in 2021, identifying 20 major transportation projects along the corridor that should be completed over a 20-year period.
“We identified the system needs for the county to be able to serve all the growing demands in Chanhassen, Chaska, Victoria and beyond,” Johnson said.
Once the study was finished, Bolton & Menk helped the county and local partners identify competitive funding sources and deliver about $175 million in revenue to accomplish the planned projects.
“I think Carver County has been a leader in some of the locally led projects,” Johnson said. “Everyone’s doing a part.”
