A construction project on I-694 from Hwy. 252 to 35W was to have started last night, but as of this morning all lanes are open. Word is that the work will begin at 7 tonight and be in place for Tuesday's morning rush hour.

According to MnDOT spokesman Kent Barnard, the contractor had some equipment problems and was unable to get new striping in place. The plan is to do that tonight.

The bottom line is enjoy it while you can because the project, while delayed, is still scheduled.

For the next five months, motorists on I-694 will face lane closures 24 hours a day between Hwy. 252 and I-35W. That's on top of work already in progress on I-694 extending east from 35W to Hwy. 10, meaning the construction zone will extend 10 miles along the north metro's main east-west corridor.

The $21 million project includes putting new decks on bridges at the 252/694/94 interchange and patching concrete and joints that have crumbled below the surface. The road also will be ground down to create a smoother ride.

Further east, Hwy. 36 in both directions from Hwy. 61 and White Bear Avenue through Maplewood is closed for 75 days. In Burnsville and Eagan, I-35E is down to a single lane in each direction between Cedar Avenue and the 35E/35W split for the next few months.

In the west metro, all southbound lanes of Hwy. 169 between Hwy. 55 and I-94 will have complete closures on weekends for the next three weeks, followed by four weekends of northbound closures.