Officials at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport have long advised travelers to arrive at least two hours before departures to allow enough time to park, check baggage and get through security.
Now there is a reason to consider allowing even more time: a major road construction project.
Weather permitting, the Minnesota Department of Transportation in a couple weeks will begin overhauling Hwy. 5, the road that passes in front of the main entrance to Terminal 1, the Lindbergh Terminal. Construction will last for six months and includes rebuilding the highway between 34th Avenue in Bloomington and Hwys. 55 and 62 near Fort Snelling and the Mendota Bridge. The eastbound lanes will be closed first, from early April until mid-July. The westbound lanes will close in August with the goal of having them back open before the popular MEA travel weekend in mid-October, the agency said.
Adding to the chaos, crews also will be repairing ramps at Hwy. 62, Bloomington Road, Interstate 494 and those leading to the airport's main terminal.
"You'll always be able to get in and out of the airport," said MnDOT spokesman David Aeikens.
It just might not be easy.
To help those driving to the airport — including shuttle operators, ride-share providers and taxis — MnDOT has launched a new website called AroundtheAirport.com. The site features a map of the affected area along with suggested detours and tips to help travelers plan their routes and perhaps the most sage advice of all: "Give yourself an extra hour on the road if you're headed to the airport."
"We're doing all we can to limit the disruption to motorists," said MnDOT metro engineer Mike Barnes.
If there is any consolation, the upheaval for drivers will be confined to one construction season. Normally a project like this with the challenging geography in the area would take two years, Barnes said.
Construction won't impact travelers arriving via Metro Transit's Blue Line. Savvy travelers can get dropped off at a nearby rail station rather than the airport and hop a train from there. Those options include the 28th Avenue and Bloomington Central stations.
Metro Transit's Route 54 bus will detour away from the Hwy. 5 construction. Riders will transfer to the Blue Line at the American Boulevard station in Bloomington.
About bike parking
Is it legal to lock a bicycle to a bus stop signpost? Robin Garwood wanted to know after he was issued a parking advisory by Metro Transit police when he attached his bike to a bus stop sign pole outside the Capella Building on 6th Street in downtown Minneapolis.
"Your vehicle is in violation of a parking law," the notice read. "Since you may not be aware that you are parking illegally, you are receiving an advisory rather than a citation."
Garwood wanted to know what law or city ordinance he violated, and posted a picture of the advisory on Twitter.
"I'm pretty sure that is not a law," he said in an interview with the Drive.
For the record, bicycles can legally be locked to bike racks, signposts and new parking meter bike racks provided they don't impede the "normal and reasonable movement of pedestrian or other traffic," the ordinance reads. Bicycles cannot be locked to handrails, trees, streetlight poles or traffic light poles.
Follow news about traffic and commuting at The Drive on startribune.com. Got traffic or transportation questions, or story ideas? E-mail drive@startribune.com, tweet @stribdrive or call Tim Harlow at 612-673-7768.
