The county approved a professional-services agreement with Bolton & Menk Inc. on June 23, 2026. The agreement covers work from August 3, 2026, through October 31, 2028, and is capped at $1.4 million.

The action begins formal engineering for a multiyear reconstruction of a principal Wayzata-area route. Hennepin County is leading the project in partnership with the City of Wayzata.

What the approval does — and does not do

The approved agreement is for preliminary design, engineering and related professional services. It does not mean the CSAH 101 corridor is under construction, and the $1.4 million maximum is the design agreement rather than the eventual construction budget.

The reviewed county action does not establish final construction dates or a final construction cost. It also does not provide the final lane, sidewalk, transit or detour design. Those details may affect residents, commuters and local businesses as the county and city continue design and public-engagement decisions.

For now, drivers should not treat the approval as a notice of immediate reconstruction. The engineering period extends more than two years, through October 31, 2028, while future construction and traffic-control decisions remain unsettled.

Separate road work is scheduled nearby

Wayzata-area drivers also have other road work to track, but the projects are separate. The Minnesota Department of Transportation has scheduled reconstruction and repair work on Highway 12 between Shoreline Drive in Wayzata and I-494 in Minnetonka. MnDOT says that work is planned from April through November 2026 and includes a weekend closure in each direction.

The City of Wayzata separately posted an overnight closure notice for utility work at 720 Wayzata Boulevard. Westbound Wayzata Boulevard was scheduled to close between Broadway Avenue South and Chicago Avenue South from 10 p.m. July 8 to 8 a.m. July 9. The city advised drivers to follow detours and allow extra travel time.

That one-night utility closure and the Highway 12 project should not be combined with the future CSAH 101 reconstruction. The next known phase for the Wayzata Boulevard/Central Avenue project is preliminary engineering beginning August 3, 2026, followed by continued design work through October 31, 2028.

A Hennepin County Board action file covers up to $1.4 million for preliminary design, engineering, and related professional services. Hennepin County is coordinating the project with the City of Wayzata.

What corridor is included?

The planned project covers County State Aid Highway 101, also known as Wayzata Boulevard and Central Avenue, from Gleason Lake Road to Byrondale Avenue in Wayzata.

County capital-budget materials describe a reconstruction intended to replace aging roadway infrastructure and use a complete-and-green-streets approach. The corridor was last reconstructed in 1973, according to the county’s project description.

What could change?

Elements being planned or studied include new pavement, sidewalks, curb and gutter, stormwater improvements, accessibility features, walking and biking facilities, street lighting, and traffic-control upgrades.

The final configuration is not settled. Intersection controls, driveway and property access, traffic operations, right-of-way needs, and other corridor details will be evaluated during design. Residents and businesses should not assume that every existing turn, driveway arrangement, lane configuration, or streetscape feature will remain unchanged.

Project cost and timeline

The Hennepin County 2026 Capital Budget Book lists a projected total project cost of $20.24 million. That is a planning estimate, not a final construction bid.

Preliminary design and engineering are scheduled from August 2026 through October 2028. Construction is currently scheduled for 2030, while the capital budget shows a projected completion horizon in 2031. The separate $1.4 million authorization is for design services and is not the total cost of rebuilding the corridor.

What Wayzata residents should watch

Residents, property owners, businesses, pedestrians, bicyclists, and commuters should watch for future county and city notices about design alternatives, public meetings, access decisions, intersection concepts, right-of-way needs, and construction timing.

The project could affect future traffic operations, drainage, street maintenance, and mobility along one of Wayzata’s main corridors. But major construction is not underway, and the county and city have not finalized all design details.

Sources

• Hennepin County Board action file 26-0229
• Hennepin County 2026 Capital Budget Book
• City of Wayzata corridor-study update

To avoid calendar confusion, think in Minnesota’s timing terms: early voting starts 18 days before Election Day. For this Aug. 11 primary, that lands on July 24.

Quick answer: start date, where, and City Hall hours

• Start: Friday, July 24, 2026
• Where: Wayzata City Hall, 600 Rice Street East, Wayzata, MN 55391
• Regular hours (City Hall): Monday–Thursday, 7:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Fridays, 7:00–11:00 a.m.
• Extended hours: Saturday, August 8, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.; Monday, August 10, 7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

What changed in Minnesota: the “18-day” early voting option

Minnesota’s early voting option is designed to be more like voting at a polling place on Election Day. It starts 18 days before the election. Voters complete a short certificate, receive a ballot to vote on-site, and then insert the voted ballot into a ballot counter.

In other words: for this new option, don’t count on the 46-day traditional absentee voting window—look for the 18-day early voting start instead.

What Wayzata approved

Wayzata’s election materials say the City Council approved the 18-day early voting option for future statewide primary and general elections. For the Aug. 11, 2026 primary, that means Wayzata voters can use early in-person voting at City Hall starting July 24, 2026.

Wayzata voters: exactly when to go for the Aug. 11 primary

For the Aug. 11, 2026 primary, the state’s early-voting calendar lists:

• Start of early voting: Friday, July 24
• Last day to vote early in person: Monday, August 10

Wayzata’s City Hall schedule for this early-voting window is:

• Monday–Thursday: 7:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
• Friday: 7:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
• Saturday (extended): August 8, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
• Monday (extended): August 10, 7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Where to vote early in person (and what to do next)

For early in-person voting in this window, go to Wayzata City Hall at 600 Rice Street East, Wayzata, MN 55391.

Before you head out, the practical step is simple: double-check the posted early-voting hours and dates. Early voting has a defined start and end, and Wayzata’s schedule includes the two extended-hour days listed above.

Also note that Minnesota’s Secretary of State says you can register when you vote if you show proof of residence.

Sources

• City of Wayzata — Elections page (2026 Early Voting + City Hall hours)
• Minnesota Secretary of State — Vote early in person (2026 dates/process)
• Minnesota Statutes (Revisor) — 203B.081, Subd. 1a (18-day early voting timing)

AAA’s May 8 check shows Minneapolis-St. Paul regular gas at $4.222 a gallon and diesel at $5.424. Both are a little lower than yesterday — regular by about 2.7 cents and diesel by about 2.3 cents — but that small dip does not erase the pressure at the pump.

Compared with a week ago, regular gas is still up about 16 cents and diesel about 17 cents. Month over month, regular is up about 50 cents and diesel about 28 cents. Year over year, regular gas is up about $1.28 a gallon and diesel is up nearly $1.95.

Wayzata is about 11 miles west of Minneapolis, so the Minneapolis-St. Paul AAA row is the closest practical proxy for west-metro drivers. That makes this a useful check for commuters, households, contractors, delivery drivers and weekend travelers trying to budget a fill-up.

Diesel remains the bigger strain for service trucks, delivery fleets and small businesses that rack up miles fast. For broader context, the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s latest weekly update shows Midwest gasoline and diesel prices still elevated regionally, with the Midwest at $4.399 for regular gas and $5.742 for diesel as of May 4.

If you are filling up in or around Wayzata, share the highest and lowest pump prices you are seeing locally.

Sources

• AAA Fuel Prices — Minnesota page with Minneapolis-St. Paul metro row
• U.S. Energy Information Administration — Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update
• City of Wayzata — About Wayzata