The construction crunch along Interstate 94 between Minneapolis and St. Paul is giving some drivers a familiar pain in the backside.

Commuters who might have forgotten their frustration during last summer's creep through the I-94 rehab project got a rude refresher on Wednesday when they felt the familiar squeeze of lane closures, thanks to the barriers that crews had set up overnight -- the road is now three lanes instead of four between Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis and the Cretin/Vandalia exit in St. Paul.

The morning commute along one of the busiest sections of highway in the Twin Cities was horrible, according to the dozen or so people who sent e-mails told the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

And the worst is yet to come for Year Two of the project, according to the people who keep an eye on traffic at the Regional Transportation Management Center.

While traffic around the metro area was a bit lighter than usual Wednesday, presumably because of vacations tied to Memorial Day, next week likely will be worse when traffic along the corridor hits about 170,000 vehicles per day again, said John McClellan, freeway operation supervisor at the transportation center.

"That corridor is pretty backed up normally during rush hours," he said. "You take one lane out of something that's already pretty heavy, it's going to be a lot worse."

Inside, then outside lanes

The inside lane and shoulder in both directions will be closed for reconstruction until about late August. The ramp from eastbound I-94 to northbound Hwy. 280 and the ramp from southbound Hwy 280 to westbound I-94 will each be closed for about a week in August. Additional overnight lane closures from Sunday through Thursday also can be expected.

By September, the outside lanes and shoulders will be closed for reconstruction through October. Ramps at Hwy. 55, 5th Street, Cedar Avenue and 25th/Riverside Avenues will be closed temporarily at different times for resurfacing.

In other words, the traffic backup during peak times could extend farther and farther down I-94.

As commuters search for alternate routes, the ripple effect from the I-94 project could feel a bit worse this year because it bumps up against the construction of the 11-mile Central Corridor light-rail line along University and Washington Avenues.

Grit and bear it

While some commuters will be cursing under their breath, others likely will grit their teeth and bear it.

"Most people get over it," MnDOT spokesman Kent Barnard said.

"Last year, despite the congestion, people would tell us, 'Hey, we realize that this really needs to be repaired and resurfaced so we're willing to deal with it.'"

But for the next week or so, it will be a learning curve, he said.

Monitoring the roadside traffic cameras, the folks at the transportation center will soon begin to see people adapt, McClellan said.

"People will explore their alternate routes and decide if it's better or worse," he said. "Some folks will try to leave earlier. Some folks will try to leave later."

But just as commuters think they've got it figured out, the unexpected likely will throw a wrench in their plans.

"Someone runs out of gas, there's a crash, a blown tire, a car overheats, you have the air conditioner on and the battery dies," McClellan said. Then an already bad situation will get worse, he said.

And for all those times, MnDOT and traffic watchers offered familiar counsel.

"Be patient,'' McClellan said, "give yourself plenty of time, make sure you have enough gas in the tank."

mlsmith@startribune.com • 612-673-4788 pwalsh@startribune.com • 612-673-4482