The grimy walls inside the Lowry Hill Tunnel in downtown Minneapolis will be cleaned over the next two nights, and that means overnight closures on Interstate 94.

Both directions of the freeway will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday between Interstate 394 and the Hennepin and Lyndale avenues exit. All exits and on ramps at Hennepin and Lyndale will remain open, said MnDOT spokesman David Aeikens.

On Thursday night, the eastbound lanes of I-94 will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Interstate 394 to I-35W, including the on ramp from Hennepin and Lyndale avenues to eastbound I-94. The westbound lanes will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Hennepin Avenue to I-394. The exit from westbound I-94 to Hennepin and Lyndale avenues will remain open, Aeikens said.

As part of the twice-a-year cleaning, MnDOT crews also will make repairs to electrical systems inside the tunnel and replace broken and burned out lights, Aeikens said.

Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768