Highway 610 Opens in Maple Grove

The completion of the northern metro's Highway 610 was 50 years in the making. It was in the late 60s when lawmakers first started discussing building a new highway that could take drivers across the north metro.

The "north crosstown," will eventually take drivers all the way across Maple Grove, reported Channel 12 - Northwest Community Television.

For years, motorists would drive on it and then all of a sudden it would just end and they would need to exit.

On Thursday, lawmakers and Minnesota Department of Transportation officials celebrated the upcoming completion of the highway on the Maple Grove Parkway bridge.

Officials say the new highway will relieve congestion on other roadways and spark new businesses to come to the area.

"We already have a lot of inquiries from new businesses," said Maple Grove Mayor Mark Steffenson. "It's a great addition and that's what we want."

The highway took decades to complete because lawmakers were unwilling to fund the project.

"This wasn't driven by political entities, but it was driven by citizens who recognized the value of having a north crosstown, going from I-35 to I-94 and it was a vital link that they recognized," says State Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove.

The finish date of the project was delayed until November after Maple Grove suffered severe floods this fall.

Image via City of Maple Grove