Roadwork could delay traffic at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport next year

The highway serving the main terminal at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is slated to be resurfaced beginning next spring — a project that could snarl plans for travelers.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is expected to launch a $28 million road resurfacing project on Hwy. 5 — right in front of Terminal 1, also known as the Lindbergh terminal.

On its website, MnDOT advises: "A significant portion of the work will affect traffic." The project will last until fall 2020.

"The reality is that, with Hwy. 5 closed entirely first in one direction and then the other, there will be significant delays for people driving to Terminal 1," said Patrick Hogan, spokesman for the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), in an e-mail.

MAC officials have been working with MnDOT for several months "to gain an understanding of the project and to discuss any opportunities to reduce impacts on people driving to or from Terminal 1," Hogan said.

In addition, the MAC, MnDOT, airlines serving the airport and officials from surrounding communities are crafting an awareness campaign "to help as many people as possible become aware of the highway construction before they leave for the airport."

The road project will stretch between the Minnesota River and N. 34th Ave., and also involve ramp repairs to and from Crosstown Hwy. 62 and onto Interstate 494.

The news comes after a construction project in the south checkpoint area of Terminal 1 has caused security lines to be reconfigured, resulting in occasional long lines and confusion among travelers.