Public gets a close-up view of the real trouble behind the Southwest light-rail line project

Metropolitan Council

The Metropolitan Council has heard all the complaints from the public about the new Southwest light-rail line.

So it has decided to put the public in front of the source of the complaints.

The Kenilworth corridor in Minneapolis is what Southwest Project Director Jim Alexander calls “a big bear.” The Metropolitan Council is hosting tours of the construction site to give the public a first-hand look at the progress … and the problems.

The tricky spot of the Kenilworth corridor is a half-mile-long tunnel between Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles. Contractors are having problems with the soil conditions in the corridor, which has bumped up the price of the Southwest light-rail project to over $2 billion.

In one particular area, where condominium foundations are located within 6 in. of the tunnel, a wall consisting of intersecting reinforced concrete piles is being built for additional stabilization.

The job is about 50% complete, but officials aren’t sure when the line will be open for business. The tunnel work is causing the most delay.

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