A week ahead of schedule, and just in time for the Minnesota State Fair, the Snelling Avenue bridge over Interstate 94 is reopening this weekend.
The bridge is a major thoroughfare connecting St. Paul's Midway area and the State Fairgrounds to neighborhoods on the other side of the freeway.
The bridge overhaul, which began about three months ago, is part of a $13.2 million project by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Metro Transit and the city of St. Paul, aimed at making the area friendlier for motorists, transit users and pedestrians.
Work on sidewalks and lighting will continue in September after the State Fair, which runs from Aug. 27 to Sept. 7, on the residential and commercial area running from Selby Avenue to Pierce Butler Road. Connections will be improved to the Snelling Avenue station of the Metro Transit Green Line and bus routes in the area, as well. Plantings in some areas along the Snelling Avenue/Hwy. 51 medians will be done next year.
In addition, bus rapid transit (BRT) sidewalk platforms at four locations between Dayton and Hewitt avenues are planned for the $25 million Metro Transit A Line, which begins service in 2016.
Meanwhile, the rest of the road construction news this weekend involves closures:
• Hwy. 100 between I-394 and Hwy. 62 will be closed through 5 a.m. Monday.
• I-394 in Minneapolis and Golden Valley: Eastbound I-394 traffic between Hwy. 100 and I-94 will shift to the two HOV/reversible lanes, likely resulting in delays during peak drive times. Several ramps will be closed in the area.
