More changes are in store for commuters in the northwestern suburbs as the Minnesota Department of Transportation closes the ramp from westbound I-94 to southbound I-494 Monday night.
The ramp will close at 10 p.m. and stay closed through mid-October, MnDOT officials said.
Motorists will be detoured onto southbound Hwy. 169 to westbound I-394 to I-494. The closure will likely put additional pressure on southbound Hwy. 169, which is already seeing increased traffic levels due to the construction on I-494 between the Fish Lake Interchange and I-394. That project, which will run through the 2016 construction season, has I-494 reduced to two southbound lanes in the mornings and two northbound lanes in the evenings and one lane northbound lane in the mornings and two northbound lanes in the evenings.
Starting on Tuesday, the ramp from Bass Lake Road to southbound I-494 will close through mid-October. Motorists will be detoured via southbound Northwest Blvd., then west on Rockford Road to I-494. Drivers on 494 will not be able to exit at Bass Lake Road, either. Motorists will exit at Rockford Road, then follow Rockford Road east to Northwest Blvd., then north to Bass Lake Road.
MnDOT has been working all summer on I-494 between Maple Grove and Plymouth to add a third lane between the I-694/94 split and Hwy. 55. The project also includes repairing concrete and adding noise walls along the interstate.
The Fish Lake interchange sees about 109,000 vehicles each day.
