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Overnight lane closures planned on I-94, I-35E Monday

Motorists venturing out after 8 p.m. will find a number of road projects that could bring delays, particularly on I-94 in the north metro and I-35E between 694 and 35E.

By Tim Harlow

September 15, 2014 at 3:50PM

(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A spate of overnight closures will kick in a few hours after this evening's rush hour, meaning commuters won't have to dodge cones and barrels on the way home.

But those venturing out after 8 p.m. will find a number of road projects that could bring delays, particularly on I-94 in the north metro and I-35E between 694 and 35E.

Here is where motorists will find fewer lanes to work with starting Monday:

Interstate 94 at Hwy. 252

MnDOT will be doing bridge work on the ramp from westbound 94 to westbound 694, and traffic impacts will begin at 8 p.m. Monday. That's when one lane from 49th Avenue to Hwy. 252 will close, with the second lane to be shut down at 10 p.m. When that happens, drivers will be diverted to eastbound 694 to East River Road, then back west on 694.

The detour will be in effect from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. Monday into Tuesday morning.

Interstate 94 in Minneapolis

MnDOT will close the left two lanes of eastbound 94 at Franklin Avenue from 11 p.m. Monday until 5 a.m. Tuesday for a maintenance project. An associated closure has the southbound exits from Hwy. 280 to westbound 94 closed from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Look for blockades at University Avenue.

Over in St. Paul, Xcel Energy crews began a utility project Monday morning, and that has the right lane of eastbound 94 closed at Snelling Avenue. This one will be with us all week, so plan on some jamming in the area, especially during this afternoon's rush and other peak travel periods.

Metro Transit and other city buses will be merging into the general traffic lanes. The bus-only shoulder is closed for the next four weeks.

I-35E in St. Paul and Maplewood

Watch carefully where you steer if you plan on traveling in either direction between I-94 and Cayuga Street. Between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. Monday through Thursday, crews will be shifting traffic around as they prepare for the next stage of highway construction. Motorists can expect delays and intermittent lane closures, MnDOT said.

I-35, 35W in south metro

Southbound 35W from 90th to 98th Streets will be see one lane closed 7 to 10 p.m. Monday, and then reduced to a single lane from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday, MnDOT said. It's related to the reconstruction of the 94th Street bridge. Lanes should be opened for rush hour, MnDOT said.

Further south, look for both directions of I-35 to have left lane closures from 7 p.m. Monday until sometime Tuesday afternoon. It's construction work from 162nd Street and just north of the 35E/35W split.

Hwy. 36 in Roseville

Both directions of Hwy. 36 will be down to a single lane between Lexington Avenue and Victoria Street from 10 p.m. Monday until 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Photo: One lane is out of service all week on eastbound 94 at Snelling Avenue.

about the writer

Tim Harlow

Reporter

Tim Harlow covers traffic and transportation issues in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and likes to get out of the office, even during rush hour. He also covers the suburbs in northern Hennepin and all of Anoka counties, plus breaking news and weather.