Interstate 35W to shut down in Minneapolis for the weekend

The leaves are falling, and so are the myriad road construction projects that drivers have to navigate around. But a big one this weekend comes with a complete shutdown of I-35W in south Minneapolis.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is closing the northbound lanes between Crosstown Hwy. 62 and downtown Minneapolis and the southbound lanes from Interstate 94 to 46th Street on Friday night until Monday morning. The agency is completing a traffic switch and utility work.

To the south, a long-term lane closure went into place Thursday on southbound I-35W over the Minnesota River bridge in Bloomington. The freeway is down from four lanes to three until 2021.

This is MEA weekend and many people have left town for a fall getaway, so traffic might be lighter than normal. One place that might not be true — at least on Sunday — is near the University of Minnesota. Minnesota United is hoping to draw 50,000 fans for its home finale at TCF Bank Stadium. That would be set an attendance mark for a professional soccer game in Minnesota, so expect heavy traffic heading to the 4 p.m. match.

Other traffic-generating events include concerts featuring Florence + the Machine on Saturday and Phil Collins on Sunday night at Target Center. There's a Wild hockey game Saturday night at the Xcel Center in St. Paul, and Grammy winner Ed Sheeran will perform at U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday night.

Here is a rundown of weekend road work:

1. Interstate 35W: Northbound closed between Crosstown Hwy. 62 and I-94 and southbound closed from I-94 to 46th Street from 10 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday. Only one southbound lane open from 46th Street to Crosstown from 6 a.m. Saturday until 5 a.m. Monday.

3. NE. Broadway Street: Closed from Stinson Boulevard to Industrial Boulevard until fall.

4. Wabasha Street: Wabasha Street closed from Plato Boulevard to Cesar Chavez Street.

5. Hwy. 149/Smith Avenue: The High Bridge over the Mississippi River is closed until December. Periodic lane closures between George Street and I-494 in Mendota Heights.

6. Interstate 35 in Forest Lake: Southbound reduced to two lanes from Hwy. 8 to Hwy. 97. Northbound width restriction of 12 feet and periodic lane closures.

7. Hwy. 10 in Elk River: Lane restrictions in both directions between Waco Street and Upland Avenue.

9. Interstate 35W in Blaine: Off-peak nighttime lane closures in both directions between Mounds View and Blaine.

10. Hwy. 3 in Inver Grove Heights: Closed between 60th and 70th streets and Hwys. 149 and 55.

11. Interstate 35W in Bloomington: Southbound reduced from four lanes to three between 106th Street and Cliff Road. The ramp from 106th Street to southbound I-35W closed until 2021.

12. Crosstown Hwy. 62 in Edina: Watch for single-lane closures in both directions between I-494 and Hwy 100.

13. Flying Cloud Drive in Eden Prairie: Closed from Hwy. 101 to Spring Road.