North metro drivers felt the pinch this week when the Minnesota Department of Transportation reduced to a single lane portions of I-35W and I-35E south of the Forest Lake split. The new configuration led to long backups that may recur until construction wraps up in November.
This weekend, Sept. 14-15, drivers may find more pain on I-35W as two separate closures in Minneapolis could stymie drivers. The freeway will be closed north of downtown for a resurfacing project Friday night to Monday morning, and the northbound lanes will be closed from Hwy. 62 to I-94 Friday night to midday Saturday for work associated with the rebuilding of I-35W between downtown Minneapolis and 43rd Street.
All that will make it a bit more difficult to get to the Gophers football game Saturday afternoon at TCF Bank Stadium and Sunday's Minnesota United game at Allianz Field.
Here's a guarantee: There won't be any vehicular traffic on W. Broadway between Penn and Lyndale avenues on Saturday afternoon. The road is closed for another edition of Open Streets Minneapolis.
Some Minneapolis parkways will also be closed to traffic Sunday morning for the annual Minneapolis Bike Tour.
Here is where you'll find other road construction projects:
Minneapolis
1. I-35W: Northbound closed from 10 p.m. Friday to noon Saturday between Crosstown Hwy. 62 and I-94, and from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday between I-94 and University Avenue SE. Southbound closed from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday between Hwy. 280 and I-94. Ramps from westbound Hwy. 55 to Washington Avenue and I-94 closed 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. Lane reductions in both directions of I-35W from 43rd Street to I-94. Ramps closed from northbound I-35W to westbound I-94 and eastbound I-94 to southbound I-35W.
2. Hennepin Avenue and 8th Street: Hennepin Avenue is a single lane in each direction between 7th and 12th streets; 8th Street is closed from LaSalle Avenue to 2nd Avenue S. and Portland to Park avenues.
East metro
3. Hwy. 120/Century Avenue in Maplewood: Closed between 27th and 34th streets until Nov. 1.
4. I-94: Lane reductions in both directions from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday between I-494/694 and Woodbury Drive.
North metro
5. I-35W between Roseville and Lino Lakes: Lane reductions in both directions between Hwy. 36 in Roseville and Sunset Avenue in Lino Lakes.
6. Interstates 35W, 35E and 35 in Columbus and Forest Lake: Lane closures in both directions on I-35 between the split and Hwy. 8. Southbound I-35 reduced to two lanes from Hwy. 97 to the I-35W/35E split, and southbound I-35W and I-35E reduced to a single lane each south of the split. Northbound I-35W reduced to a single lane approaching the I-35W/I-35E split.
7. Bottineau Boulevard/County Road 81 in Brooklyn Park: Closed between 71st Avenue N. and Brooklyn Boulevard.
8. I-94 in Maple Grove and Rogers: One westbound lane closed from 8 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday between I-494 and Hwy. 241.
South metro
9. I-35W in Bloomington: Lane restrictions in both directions between 106th Street and Cliff Road.
10. I-494 in Eagan: Reduced to two lanes between the Minnesota River bridge and Pilot Knob Road.
11. Hwy. 3 in Inver Grove Heights: Closed between 60th Street and County Road 26 until Nov. 1.
12. Hwy. 13 in Prior Lake: Closed between Fairlawn Avenue and Marschall Road.
West metro
13. Hwy. 100 in St. Louis Park: Both directions reduced to one lane from 6 p.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday between Excelsior Boulevard and I-394.
14. I-494 at Rockford Road in Plymouth: Narrow lanes on I-494; Rockford Road bridge over I-494 closed.
15. Flying Cloud Drive in Eden Prairie: Closed between Hwy. 101 and Spring Road.
Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768
