Central Corridor construction on Washington Ave. bridge begins Saturday

Starting Saturday, crews will begin preparing the Washington Avenue bridge in Minneapolis for the Central Corridor light rail project.

The bridge remains open, but there will be construction delays. Central Corridor project spokeswoman Laura Baenan said one lane each way of traffic will remain open on the bridge.

"People headed to Gopher men's basketball and hockey games on Saturday can expect delays when they come to the Washington Avenue bridge due to this work," Baenan said. "So the project is recommending an alternative route such as 10th Avenue or the 35W bridges."

Traffic delays will likely continue on the bridge and around the U's east bank campus this spring. The bridge work will expand, and by May, the portion of Washington Avenue that runs through the east bank campus will be closed.