More than 34.1 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles from home over Labor Day weekend, and most of them will do so by car, according to AAA.

The number of folks traveling over the long weekend from Thursday through Monday is up from last year when 32.7 million people hit the roads or skies.

Locally, those heading out of town for the last gasp of summer will find it relatively easy to get to the cabin, resort or favorite lake. Most major construction projects have wound down. One exception is those heading east on I-94 into Wisconsin. Look for periodic lane closures from the Hudson Bridge over to Menomonie, Wis.

Highway 36 opening

Those who stay in town can be among the first to try out the new and improved Hwy. 36 and English Street interchange in Maplewood. A celebration to mark the completion of the $16.5 million construction project will take place Friday, and the highway and interchange will open to the public on Saturday. It's been a long summer with that closure, so it should come as welcome news for east metro commuters.

Highway 10 in Anoka

The word from MnDOT is that the construction between Greenhaven Drive and 7th Avenue should wrap up by Friday. That will be welcome news for commuters and those heading out of town. Next week, look for overnight work to take out lanes periodically between Fairoak Avenue and Hanson Blvd.

I-94 in Maplewood

The ramp from Ruth Street to westbound 94 is closed until 5 a.m. Monday for drainage repair work. Be prepared for shoulder and lane closures on 94 in the immediate area.

I-35 in Lakeville

All clear for this weekend, but starting Tuesday the stretch from County 2 at Elko to County Road 50 in Lakeville will be a single lane in each direction until November. This could be a difficult commute for those in the south. Time to think of using Cedar Avenue.

Downtown Minneapolis

No large scale events are schedule for downtown Minneapolis. The Lynx do host the Seattle Storm at 7 p.m. Saturday at Target Center.

Mass Transit

Metro Transit will operate buses and light-rail trains on a holiday schedule on Monday, meaning many routes will have reduced service or none at all. Northstar Commuter trains will not run on Monday.

Minnesota Valley Transit Authority will operate local routes 440, 444 and 445, but express service to downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul and the University of Minnesota will not run.

The Red Line BRT will follow its weekend schedule.

No service will be offered on SouthWest Transit, Maple Grove Transit or Plymouth Metrolink express routes.

For trip planning assistance, call 612-373-3333.