The Minnesota Department of Transportation on Tuesday will temporarily close the Hwy. 41 bridge and its approaches between Shakopee and Chaska, due to the rising water levels of the Minnesota River.
MnDOT officials will shut down the highway, between Hwy. 169 near Shakopee and Chaska Boulevard in Chaska, at 9 a.m. Tuesday. It will remain closed to traffic until the water recedes and necessary road repairs are made.
The stretch to be shut down includes one of the south metro's busiest bridges, which last closed for flooding in June 2014.
As of Monday, the Minnesota River had risen past the 27-foot mark and submerged low-lying areas and some nearby roads. The National Weather Service in Chanhassen projected that the river will continue to rise to more than 30 feet by Thursday.
In Burnsville, MnDOT also planned Wednesday to close traffic lanes on Interstate 35W between Cliff Road and Black Dog Road to allow road crews to build a dike to prevent flooding there. All lanes were expected to reopen Wednesday night.
The St. Paul District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers planned to close a park near De Soto, Wis., and three Mississippi River landings due to high water levels. The areas will reopen as conditions allow, according to a news release.
Motorists can check 511mn.org for the MnDOT's latest road closure information.
KATIE GALIOTO
