Travel I-94 in the Twin Cities? Prepare for months of detours and delays, starting this weekend
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Months of road construction, detours and delays begin this weekend on Interstate 94 between Minneapolis and St. Paul.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation says work is picking up on a maintenance and repair project for five bridges along I-94 between Interstate 35W and Highway 280.
That includes the bridges carrying the freeway across the Mississippi River, Cedar Avenue, the Metro Transit Blue Line and Hiawatha Avenue, as well as the Riverside Avenue bridge over I-94.
As work begins, there will be a full closure of eastbound I-94 this weekend from I-35W to Highway 280. That will run from 10 p.m. Friday through early Monday morning, with traffic detoured to Highway 36.
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The closure is to allow crews to install a new traffic pattern along that stretch of I-94. When that stretch of freeway reopens to eastbound traffic early Monday, it will be reduced to two lanes in each direction through the fall. To start, all traffic will be squeezed onto what’s usually the eastbound lanes, while work starts on westbound bridges.
There will also be significant long-term ramp closures in that area:
Ramps from Huron Boulevard to both directions of I-94, near the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus, will close from 9 p.m. Friday through June.
The ramp from South Sixth Street to eastbound I-94, carrying traffic from downtown Minneapolis, will close from 9 p.m. Friday through late April.
The ramp from westbound I-94 to South Seventh Street, carrying traffic to downtown Minneapolis, will close from 3 p.m. Sunday through May 17.
The ramps to and from westbound I-94 at Riverside Avenue will close from 3 p.m. Sunday through June.
Detours for those ramp closures may lead to traffic delays on city streets in the area — not just on the freeway. MnDOT is urging drivers to plan for delays and be patience, especially during the morning and afternoon commute.
The bridge work will also require the closure of two trails that pass beneath the freeway. The West River Parkway Trail beneath I-94 closed recently and will remain closed until April 11. And the Hiawatha LRT trail underneath I-94 will be closed from Monday through May 2.
