UPDATE: Metro-35W@94 Downtown to Crosstown Construction

We have several upcoming closures we wanted to let you know about, as well as a last chance opportunity to take photos of downtown Minneapolis from the 24th St. pedestrian bridge.

Closures
• 26th St. bridge closes June 1
• I-35W weekend closure scheduled, June 1-4
• Access to/from downtown and I-35W closes June 8
• 31st St. ramps on I-35W close June 8
• Eastbound I-94 to southbound I-35W ramp closes June 8
• I-94 weekend closure scheduled June 8-11
• Northbound I-35W overnight closure June 8
• Additional closures in June

Event
• Last chance to take photos from the 24th St. pedestrian bridge June 7
Details on these closures and the event are provided below.

26th Street bridge closes June 1
The 26th St. bridge is scheduled to close about 6 p.m. Friday, June 1. The bridge will remain closed to motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists through early November 2018. The Franklin Ave. bridge is expected to reopen in mid-June. During the overlap of closures of the 26th St. and Franklin Ave. bridges, motorists will be detoured to Portland Ave. to Lake St. to 1st Ave. Pedestrians will be detoured to use 28th St. via 5th Ave. S and Stevens Ave. However, beginning on June 1, the Franklin Ave. bridge will reopen to one lane of westbound traffic, pedestrians and bicyclists.

We apologize for the inconvenience of the overlapping closures. The late arrival of spring delayed progress on the Franklin Ave. bridge. In addition, the 26th St. bridge is being reconstructed, which requires a 5½-month closure. Any delay to this closure puts the reopening later this fall at risk, especially if there is challenging weather. To give us as much of a weather advantage as possible and avoid having the bridge be closed through the winter, it is necessary to close the 26th St. bridge before the Franklin Ave. bridge is fully open.

I-35W weekend closure June 1-4
Demolition of the 26th St. bridge will begin the evening of Friday, June 1 and requires a weekend closure of I-35W between I-94 and Hwy 62. The weekend closure is scheduled from 10 p.m. on Friday, June 1 through 5 a.m. on Monday, June 4. Southbound lanes will be open between 46th St. and Hwy 62. Crews will be working 24 hours a day during the weekend closure. Motorists should follow the posted detour.

Access to/from downtown and I-35W closes June 8
Beginning on Friday, June 8, access from northbound I-35W to downtown (11th St./Grant St./5th Ave.) and access from downtown (12th St./4th Ave.) to southbound I-35W will be closed. The northbound access will reopen in fall 2018; however, the southbound access will remain closed through fall 2021.

31st Street ramps on I-35W close June 8
The ramp from northbound I-35W to 31st St./Lake St. is scheduled to close to motorists on Friday, June 8 and remain closed through fall 2018. Also, the ramp from 31st St. to southbound I-35W will close on Friday, June 8, but will remain closed through fall 2021. From June 8 through fall 2018, buses will be able to use both ramps.

Eastbound I-94 to southbound I-35W ramp closes June 8
Starting on Friday, June 8, the ramp from eastbound I-94 to southbound I-35W will close and remain closed through fall 2021.

I-94 weekend closure scheduled June 8-11
To accommodate bridge and road demolition in the I-35W and I-94 junction, there will be a weekend closure of I-94 between I-394 and I-35W starting at 10 p.m. Friday, June 8 through 5 a.m., June 11. During this weekend closure, access to/from downtown and I-35W will also be closed.

Northbound I-35W overnight closure June 8
Beginning 10 p.m. on Friday, June 8 northbound I-35W will be closed between Hwy 62 and I-94 until 6 a.m. on Saturday, June 9. Motorists should follow the detour using eastbound Hwy 62 to northbound Hwy 55 back to northbound I-35W. During the closure, crews will be moving barrier and restriping the northbound lanes between 26th St. and the 3rd St. exit to add a third lane which will help accommodate traffic during the closure of access from northbound I-35W to downtown (11th St./Grant St./5th Ave.).

Additional closures in June

The following closures are tentatively scheduled to occur in June:
• June 15-June 18: Weekend closure of I-35W between I-94 and Hwy 62
• June 15: Bridge closure: 24th Street pedestrian bridge, this bridge was originally scheduled to close June 1 but has now been postponed.
• June 15: Ramp closures: 35th Street ramps

Join us! Last chance to take photos from the 24th Street pedestrian bridge: June 7
Don’t miss out on your last chance to get photos of the Minneapolis skyline from the famous 24th St. pedestrian bridge. The bridge will close on Fri, June 15 until fall 2021. The new bridge will sit 20 ft. lower than the current bridge, which means you won’t have the same view when it reopens. Take your photos by Thu, June 14, or join us on Thu, June 7 from 6 to 8 a.m. on the bridge for a send-off event with Glam Doll Donuts. Send current and past photos to info@35w94.com. We’ll include them in our bridge opening celebration in 2021.

More about this project
To learn more, including all current traffic impacts and detour routes, visit the project website at: www.mndot.gov/35w94.
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.

Stay connected
• Visit the project website:  www.mndot.gov/35w94
• 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.