Transportation

Several freeway closures planned in Twin Cities this weekend

Highway signs
A long stretch of Interstate 494 through Bloomington will be closed to traffic this weekend, between Highway 100 and Highway 77. The closure runs from Friday night through early Monday.
Andrew Krueger | MPR News file

As summer gives way to fall, there is still a lot of road construction underway across Minnesota. Drivers in the Twin Cities will have to navigate several major freeway closures this weekend.

All of the closures are scheduled to start at about 10 p.m. Friday, and run through 5 a.m. Monday. Some ramps in the construction zones may start closing earlier Friday evening.

Interstate 494

The weekend closures include a long stretch of Interstate 494 in Bloomington and Richfield. The Minnesota Department of Transportation said the freeway will be closed in both directions between Highway 100 and Highway 77.

Traffic will be detoured to Highway 62, the Crosstown. MnDOT says the closure will allow crews to work on drainage projects along the freeway — part of a larger, multi-year project that also includes adding E-ZPass lanes to I-494, and repairing or replacing bridges and ramps.

Interstates 35E and 94

Also this weekend: there will be a couple of freeway closures in St. Paul. Eastbound I-94 will be closed between Highway 280 and I-35-E, with traffic detoured to Highway 36.

And northbound I-35E will be closed between Highway 5/West Seventh Street and downtown St. Paul. The posted detour will use I-494 and I-94.

The closures are part of ongoing work on bridges over the freeways.