And so it begins.
The quip that Minnesota has just two seasons — winter and road construction — will take on more than a touch of reality starting Monday when the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) closes some well-traveled freeway ramps, one week after the historic April blizzard.
• Ramps: The ramp from eastbound Interstate 394 to westbound I-94 and the ramp from northbound Lyndale Avenue S. to westbound I-94 will close at 12:01 a.m. Monday. All are expected to be closed for about two months.
The detours: From eastbound I-394 to westbound I-94, take northbound Hwy. 100 before the I-394/I-94 junction to eastbound Hwy. 55, to northbound Lyndale Avenue, then to the westbound I-94 entrance ramp. Access from eastbound I-394 to eastbound I-94 will remain open.
From northbound Lyndale to westbound I-94, continue north on Lyndale and take the westbound I-94 entrance ramp just north of 7th Street. Access from Lyndale to westbound I-394 will remain open.
• Pedestrian bridge: The Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge over I-94 between the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and Loring Park will close Monday, too, for about two months. Pedestrians and bicyclists can cross Lyndale at the Oak Grove Street/Vineland Place intersection.
• North on I-35: Periodic lane closures and traffic shifts will affect both directions of I-35 between Hwy. 8 and Hwy. 97 starting Monday for about a week, MnDOT said. All lanes will be open during peak travel times — between 5 and 8 a.m. on southbound I-35 and between 3 and 6 p.m. on northbound I-35.
