Metro - 35W@94 Downtown to Crosstown in Minneapolis: 2017-2021 Construction Update

Via a September 26 electronic announcement from MnDOT:

In this update:

- Franklin Ave. lane closures Sept. 27

- I-35W overnight closure Oct. 8

- Westbound I-94 to southbound I-35W ramp closure Oct. 12-22

- I-35W weekend closure mid-October

- Update on bridge, ramp and road closures

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We are happy to report that construction activities are progressing well despite the rain over the past week. We have some major milestones coming up in the next month: westbound I-94 will have three lanes back open; access from northbound I-35W to downtown (11th St./E. Grant St.) will reopen, and the 26th St. bridge is expected to reopen. To reach these milestones though, we need an overnight closure of I-35W, a ramp closure from westbound I-94 to southbound I-35W and a full weekend closure of I-35W.

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Franklin Ave. lane closures Sept. 27

We are ready to permanently stripe the pavement on the Franklin Ave. bridge. To do this, we need lane closures on Thu, Sept. 27 on Franklin Ave. between 4th Ave. and 5th Ave. from 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

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I-35W overnight closure scheduled for Oct. 8

We are ready to pour the new 26th St. bridge deck and need a nighttime closure of I-35W, which is scheduled for the following date:

- On Mon, Oct. 8, I-35W will close in both directions between Hwy 62 and I-94 at 10 p.m. The highway will reopen at 5 a.m. on Tue, Oct. 9. The detour route includes Hwy 62, Hwy 100 and I-394.

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WB I-94 to SB I-35W ramp closure Oct. 12-22

We need to do utility work and repave the ramp from westbound I-94 to southbound I-35W, so will need to close the ramp for 10 days on the following dates:

- On Fri, Oct. 12, the ramp from westbound I-94 to southbound I-35W will close at 10 p.m. The ramp will reopen on Mon, Oct. 22 at 5 a.m. The detour route is WB I-94 to WB I-394 to SB Hwy 100 to EB Hwy 62. However, for drivers coming from the east metro traveling to the south, we recommend using alternative routes including I-494, Hwy 52, and I-35E.

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I-35W weekend closure scheduled for Mid-October

We are looking forward to the project hitting a major milestone in mid-Oct. when we move into the next phase of the project. We anticipate reopening one lane of traffic from northbound I-35W into downtown to 11th St./E. Grant St. (access to 5th Ave. will remain closed through 2019) and shifting lanes of traffic on southbound I-35W. To make all of this happen, an I-35W weekend closure is tentatively being scheduled for mid-October. More details will follow.

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Update on bridge, ramp and road closures

We are working quickly and efficiently to reopen bridges, ramps and roads. Here’s an update on upcoming openings and closures:

- WB I-94 between Chicago Ave. and Nicollet Ave. returns to three lanes mid-October.

- Access from NB I-35W to downtown (11th St/E. Grant St.) reopens: mid-October. (access from NB I-35W to 5th Ave. will remain closed through 2019; and, access from downtown to SB I-35W will remain closed through 2021)

- 26th St. bridge reopens late October/early November

- 28th St. bridge closes late October/early November

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To learn more, including all current traffic impacts and detour routes, visit the project website. 

Metro Transit bus routes will be impacted as a result of construction. For updated route information, and to sign up for Rider Alerts, visit: www.metrotransit.org/35W.

Minnesota Valley Transit Authority routes will be impacted as a result of construction. For updated route information, visit: www.mvta.com.

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Stay Connected

Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/mndot and Twitter: @mndotnews

Email the project team at: info@35w94.com

Call the project hotline at: 612-284-6125 

For real-time travel information anywhere in Minnesota visit: http://www.511mn.org/ or dial 5-1-1.