I-35W ramp in Burnsville closed for bridge repair

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has closed part of a key interchange in the southern suburbs after crews discovered damage to a bridge over the weekend.

Painting crews working Saturday in Burnsville found structural damage to the underside of the Highway 13 Bridge over Interstate 35W. That's prompted MnDOT to close the ramp from southbound I-35W to northbound Highway 13 this morning.

"The folks who were looking at it think it could have been some sort of equipment that was being carried down 35W that set high up on the bed, it might have nicked the bridge," said MnDOT spokesman Kevin Gutknecht.

Experts will assess the situation today to determine the extent of the damage and what kind of repairs will be needed, Gutknecht said. It isn't clear yet how long it will take to make repairs, although damage on the other side of the bridge took about a week, he added.