Last interchanges will open by end of August
By Mollee Francisco
The final pieces of new Highway 212 should be open by the end of August, according to Charlene Zimmer, with Zumbro River Constructors.
“Our current goal is to open the (County Road) 147 interchange on Aug. 22 and to open the Powers/Pioneer (Trail) intersection sometime during the week of Aug. 25,” wrote Zimmer in an e-mail.
When the County Road 147 interchange opens, Carver residents will have easy access to the freeway.
The completion of the interchange will also trigger the re-opening of County Road 61 west of County Road 40. The roadway has been closed since July to allow construction crews to finish up work on the freeway.
The completed portion of the road has already begun to change driving patterns. The crew at the Mustard Seed is calling it “The Seed Expressway” as new Highway 212 practically leads drivers to the front door of their landscaping center. “We love it,” said owner Mark Halla.
From their vantage point just west of where County Road 61 (old Highway 212) and new Highway 212 merge, the Mustard Seed employees have witnessed just how much the new freeway is changing driving in the area.
“It sure seems like it [has changed traffic],” said Halla, adding that they have seen heavier traffic in mornings and afternoons since the roadway opened to Carver in mid-July.
“Sometimes I have to wait three minutes or more at my driveway to get out,” he said.
Halla wasn’t sure how the road was affecting his business, though. “It’s hard to tell because we have been marketing aggressively as well,” he said. “It sure seemed like it was helpful.”
The Mustard Seed employees have also heard the grumblings from their customers who have taken to using the back roads to avoid the traffic and get to the landscaping center.
Others have expressed confusion over changing names for the roads. “People are still confused, thinking 212 goes through downtown Chaska,” said Halla. “They are going to need to relearn the roads.”
Halla has already gotten the hang of it. “We got to IKEA in 24 minutes,” Halla said. “We think it’s fantastic.”