I-35W Project: MnDOT announces plan for June closures

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced a plan for the I-35W project in the first three weekends in June. The full MnDOT plan can be found here.

The first part will take place from 10 p.m. Friday, June 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 4, in which both directions of I-35W from Highway 62 to I-94 will be closed. Crews will demolish the 26th Street Bridge and the 24th Street pedestrian bridge over I-35W. Crews will also work to get the Franklin bridge open.

The second part will take place from 10 p.m. Friday, June 8 to 5 a.m. Monday June 11, in which I-94 wil be closed between I-394 and I-35W. Drivers will see changes to downtown and the Lake Street area. Crews will demolish the Highway 65 bridge over I-94 that leads in and out of downtown. 

The access to downtown at Fifth Avenue, 11th Street and East Grant Street will close for four months. It will reopen in the fall northbound for a single lane and southbound for transit only through fall of 2021. Access out of downtown to southbound I-35W will be closed. The ramp from I-94 east to I-35W south will also close.

The ramp from I-35W north to 31st Street and Lake will be closed to all but emergency vehicles and buses. This will be re-evaluated in the fall.  Buses will start using their detour routes including Park and Portland avenues during rush hour. 

Alternate access from downtown:
4th Street to I-35W
Washington Avenue to I-35W
8th Street to Hiawatha
6th Street to I-94 east
3rd Street to I-94 west
3rd Street I-394 west

In the final weekend closure, I-35W will close in both directions from 10 p.m. June 15 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 18 while crews close lanes and shift traffic on I-35W. When the freeway reopens at 5 a.m. June 18, I-35W will have three lanes going north with a MnPASS lane and two lanes going south.

In addition, the ramps from I-35W south to 35th Street, the ramp from 35th Street to I-35W north will close.

Temporary lanes have been added on I-394 west from downtown to Highway 100, on Highway 62 from Valley View Road to Highway 100 and it will add a lane on I-35W north from 31st Street and Lake Street to Third Street by June 11.

By Monday June 18, all lane shifts and closures should be complete and in place for the next few years.

Bus Options

Metro Transit and Minnesota Valley Transit Authority are expanding service and will have dedicated express routes using Park and Portland Avenues in and out of downtown Minneapolis during rush hours.  Metro Transit has a website dedicated to the project with updated route information and an opportunity to sign up for Rider Alerts. The web page is www.metrotransit.org/35W

For route updates from Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, go to www.mvta.com.

Full plan here: https://www.dot.state.mn.us/35w94/