Bolton & Menk partnered with the City of Anoka to address long-standing transportation challenges along TH 10/169, a critical corridor through the heart of the community. Constructed in the early 1960s, the roadway bisected the nearly fully developed city, creating a physical and functional divide that limited safe and efficient movement for all modes of travel. Despite carrying more than 60,000 vehicles per day, the four-lane expressway remained largely unchanged for decades.

These conditions led to severe congestion and safety concerns. Over a 10-year period, more than 1,100 crashes were recorded along this one-mile stretch, resulting in more than 325 injuries and two fatalities. Pedestrians and bicyclists faced a limited network and high exposure to traffic.

To address these issues, Bolton & Menk helped transform TH 10/169 from a highway into a freeway. Improvements included a new interchange at Thurston Avenue, an overpass at Fairoak Avenue, reconstructed interchanges at Main Street, and a new network of frontage roads that allow local traffic to move through the community without accessing the main roadway. These changes eliminated all at-grade access points and signals, reduced delays by 75 percent, and resulted in a 57 percent reduction in crashes, significantly improving safety, reliability, and overall corridor performance.

Bolton & Menk also led a successful funding strategy, securing more than $120 million in outside funding while maintaining clear, inclusive public engagement. Through early conceptual planning, enhanced typical sections, targeted graphics, and a comprehensive corridor rendering and video fly-through, the proposed improvements were clearly communicated to residents, stakeholders, and funding partners. These tools built understanding of the corridor’s long-term benefits and played a critical role in gaining public support and advancing the funding needed to move the project forward. Through this work, Bolton & Menk helped shape a clear vision for transforming TH 10/169 from a highway into a freeway that better served the community.

Opening June 2026 for its first concert, the massive 19,000-seat Mystic Lake Amphitheater is now Minnesota’s largest outdoor venue. It provides multiple viewing options including seating, a sloped lawn, VIP suites, table seating, and a beer garden and is part of the broader campus surrounding Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Shakopee, MN. Strategically positioned within the casino resort campus, the amphitheater enhances the property’s year-round entertainment programming and strengthens the destination’s regional draw and economic impact.

ERA Structural Engineering served as structural engineer of record and also designed the Amphitheater’s curved steel canopy in a highly coordinated structural and fabrication approach. For open-air concerts in the variable Minnesota climate, the structural steel canopy provides weather protection for concertgoers while minimizing view obstructions. The project was developed and constructed by Swervo Development Corporation and it will be co-operated and promoted by Live Nation.