Cedar Av. lanes to close for bridge repair

Drivers on Hwy. 77 will have to add extra time to their commutes in June when the bridge over the Minnesota River will close for repairs.

From June 5 to 15, the southbound lanes of Hwy. 77, also known as Cedar Avenue, will close from Old Shakopee Road to Hwy. 13. Then the northbound lanes will be closed for two weeks, from June 19 through June 30.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation's suggested detour — for both north and south travelers — takes Interstate 35E to Interstate 494, adding about 6 miles to a trip.

"It's quite a ways around," Dakota County Transit Manager Kristine Elwood told county commissioners last week, as she warned them of the upcoming repairs.

Bus routes along Hwy. 77, including the Red Line bus rapid transit, will also be detoured in June. The Red Line will be running its weekend schedule of every 30 minutes during the closures, according to Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA). It will return to the regular schedule on June 30.

"It's going to be a challenge, there's no doubt about it," MVTA spokeswoman Robin Selvig said of the closures.

Some bus stops will close during the construction. Riders can visit www.mvta.com for more information.

During the closures, MnDOT will be fixing a guardrail and bridge joints, and painting the bridge and a walkway. The repairs are estimated to cost $3.5 million.

A trail bridge, used by cyclists and pedestrians, will also be closed June 19 through the end of the project, according to Jon Solberg, MnDOT project manager.