Light rail closes this weekend, starting Friday a.m.
Portions of the light rail line in the Twin Cities metro area will be closed for construction this weekend.
The closures begin at 11 p.m. Friday between the Warehouse District/Hennepin Ave. Station and Fort Snelling Station, and will last through 3:30 a.m. Monday.
The Franklin Ave. Station and the 46th St. Station also will be closed starting at 9 a.m. on Friday. Trains will pass through stations during this time, but customers will be unable to board or leave trains at those stations.
The stations will be closed while crews perform maintenance on the edges of the platforms and lengthen rail platforms to accommodate three-car trains. Crews are also working to upgrade the signaling system at rail/roadway intersections.
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Customers headed to or from Franklin Ave. Station should use Route 55 buses, which will travel between Franklin Ave. and Cedar-Riverside stations. Customers headed to or from 46th St. Station should use Route 55 buses that will travel between 46th St. and 50th St. stations.
Route 55 buses also will replace trains between Warehouse District/Hennepin Ave. Station and Fort Snelling Station.
Authorities say buses will operate more frequently than trains, but bus trips will take longer than train rides.
Metro Transit officials will be at the affected stations to direct passengers to replacement bus service.
For more information on last-minute changes, call the rail maintenance hotline at 612-373-3333, option 6, or visit Metro Transit's Web site.