Roadwork closing parts of three Twin Cities highways will make for difficult weekend travel

This just might be one of those weekends when you can’t easily get from here to there as portions of three of the heaviest-traveled freeways in the Twin Cities will be shut down.

Sections of I-94, I-494 and I-35W will be closed from Friday night to Monday morning, putting even more stress on the official detour routes that include Cedar Avenue/Hwy. 77, Crosstown Hwy. 62 and Hwy. 36, highways which have already absorbed extra traffic due to other construction projects underway.

The closures also could make it harder to get to or from the Twin Cities Pride in Minneapolis.

I-494 through Bloomington and Richfield: From 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, eastbound lanes between Hwy. 100 and I-35W, westbound between Cedar Avenue/Hwy. 77 and Hwy. 100. Ramps along the corridor will start closing at 8 p.m.

In addition, the ramp from westbound I-494 to southbound I-35W closes Thursday morning and won’t reopen until October.

The freeway also is being reconfigured so eastbound and westbound will share one side of the freeway, much like drivers are on I-94 in downtown Minneapolis. Westbound motorists will not be able to get off I-494 at 35W, Penn or France avenues or at Hwy. 100.

I-35W in Richfield: Both directions will be closed between Crosstown Hwy. 62 and I-494 from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m Monday.

I-94 in St. Paul: Eastbound lanes will be closed between Hwy. 280 and I-35E from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. Westbound lanes will remain open.

Crews will be taking down the westbound I-494 bridge over I-35W, necessitating the closure of both freeways. The bridge removal is part of a larger project that includes adding an E-ZPass lane on I-494 between I-35W and Hwy. 100, a new ramp at the I-35W/494 interchange and replacing bridges at 12th, Nicollet and Portland avenues.

In St. Paul, MnDOT is addressing structural cracks, improving bearings and repainting nine bridges crossing I-94 and I-35E.

In October, right after the Twin Cities Marathon, MnDOT will knock down the John Ireland Bridge, which will be replaced.

MnDOT Spokesman Kevin Walker said the agency needs eight weekends to complete the bridge work at Jackson, Robert, Minnesota, Cedar, Wabasha, Marion and 10th streets, Western Avenue, and the 5th Street ramp to I-94 in St. Paul.

“There are a lot of events and other construction projects we are coordinating with and we can’t avoid all of the events,” Walker said, noting the agency didn’t start last week when the Back to the 50s street rod festival was held on the State Fairgrounds and want to avoid closures during the State Fair in August. “It’s difficult to find eight weekends to complete all the work.”

In addition, he added, it’s imperative bridges get attention this year because MnDOT doesn’t want to close I-94 next year when Hwy. 280 is under construction.

“That will be a nightmare,” he said.

As for concurrently closing I-35W and I-494, it seemed those are far enough away from the bridge work in St. Paul and Pride events downtown, Walker said.

“The 494/35W closures have good detour routes that don’t take people too far out of the way,” Walker said. “It’s also a fair distance away from Pride.”

With I-94 still open, but reduced to two lanes in each direction from I-35W to Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis, the trio of closures on top of that could test drivers’ fortitude.

“We appreciate your patience while we make these improvements,” Walker said.

Walker advised motorists to check MnDOT’s 511 maps online to plan their routes and allow extra time for reaching destinations.

The closures are weather dependent, so they could change by the time the weekend rolls around, Walker said.