Twin Cities weekend road woes: street parties, closed ramps, idled trains
It's going to be a great weekend for art lovers, bicyclists and pedestrians. But motorists and light rail passengers? Not so much.
An art fair, street festival, light rail maintenance and ongoing road construction will force motorists and passengers to take a few detours. But at least it looks like the weather will be sunny and spectacular. That's one plus, right?
Here's your guide to this weekend's traffic woes.
Heading out of town? Here's the Minnesota Department of Transportation's statewide map of major traffic impacts this weekend.
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Ramp closures everywhere ... or so it seems
Beginning Monday, the ramp from Washington/Broadway avenues to westbound Interstate 94 in Minneapolis will close for a week.
Also beginning Monday, the ramp from eastbound Interstate 694 to Lexington Avenue in Arden Hills area will close through early July. On Tuesday, the ramp from Lexington Avenue to eastbound I-694 will be closed and detoured through early July.
And for motorists needing to get on U.S. Highway 169 in the west metro, take note:
• The ramp from Fifth Street/Lincoln Drive to northbound Hwy. 169 closes Monday for two weeks.
• On Tuesday, the Cedar Lake Road ramp to northbound Hwy. 169 also shuts down for two weeks, through June 20.
Street festivals in Minneapolis and Edina
Open Streets Minneapolis kicks off its 2017 season this Sunday on Lyndale Avenue in the southern part of the city. The celebration closes major thoroughfares to car traffic, opening them up for walking, biking, skating and playing.
From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Lyndale Avenue will be closed from 24th Street to 54th Street.
The next Open Streets is June 11 in downtown Minneapolis.
Meanwhile in Edina, a huge art festival is shutting down the 50th Street and France Avenue area. The annual Edina Art Fair draws approximately 200,000 visitors between Friday and Sunday.
Buses replacing light rail trains in downtown Minneapolis
Buses are replacing Blue and Green Line trains through early Monday morning to allow for scheduled maintenance.
Trains will end and begin at U.S. Bank Stadium. Buses will replace trains from the stadium to Target Field Station in both directions during the partial shutdown.