MnDOT and Ramsey County gets to work Monday on building a new bridge and diverging diamond interchange at County Road 96 and I-35 in Arden Hills, and, of course, that will bring lane, ramp and total closures.
On Monday morning, the ramps from County Road 96 to northbound 35W and from southbound 35W to County 96 will close. Ramps on the south side of County 96 will close sometime in July.
Traffic on County Road 96 will be restricted to a single lane in each direction between Old Hwy. 8 and Hwy. 10 until late October. Motorists should be prepared for full short-term closures on occasion on County Road 96, MnDOT said.
The agency is building a new bridge over I-35W and putting in diverging diamond interchanges (DDI) on both ends of the new bridge. A DDI allows traffic to temporaily cross to the opposite side of a road, and then back to their original lanes. MnDOT officials say the interchanges which eliminate left turns across traffic are safer, increase mobility and reduce congestion
The $11.7 million project led by Ramsey County also includes the rebuilding of ramps at the interchange and installation of new signal systems. The work is expected to be completed by the end of October.
