In Mpls., Hiawatha traffic headaches ahead

Hiawatha Avenue will close in both directions later this week so workers can install new high-voltage electric lines under the road. Crews will start cutting off access to the road Tuesday morning.

Xcel Energy is putting in two mile-and-a-half long, 115-kilovolt power lines. They'll go under 28th Street, between a substation at Oakland Avenue and one on the east side of Hiawatha.

That means crews will have to dig up Hiawatha, also known as Highway 55. Starting this Friday night, they'll close the road in both directions between Lake and 26th streets.

Access to and from Hiawatha at East 28th and East Lake St. is going to be closed, and the northbound lanes are going to be shifted toward the inside of the roadway in order for crews to prepare and get going on some of that work, transportation department officials said.

Motorists and pedestrians will be directed to E. 26th Street to access northbound Hwy 55/Hiawatha Avenue.

The artery, a major commuting route to and from Minneapolis from the southern suburbs, is expected to reopen by Monday, Oct. 22.