More than 34.1 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles from home over Labor Day weekend, and most of them will do so by car, according to AAA.
The number of folks traveling from Thursday through Monday is up from last year, when 32.7 million people hit the roads or skies.
Locally, those heading out of town for the last gasp of summer will find the going relatively easy. Most major construction projects have wound down. One exception is east on Interstate 94 into Wisconsin. Look for periodic lane closures from the Hudson Bridge over to Menomonie.
Hwy. 36 opening
Those who stay in town can be among the first to try out the new, improved Hwy. 36 and English Street interchange in Maplewood. A celebration to mark the end of the $16.5 million project will take place Friday, and the highway and interchange will open to the public Saturday. It's been a long summer with that closure, so it should come as welcome news for east-metro commuters.
Hwy. 10 in Anoka
The word from MnDOT is that the construction between Greenhaven Drive and 7th Avenue should wrap up by Friday. Next week, look for overnight work to take out lanes periodically between Fairoak Avenue and Hanson Boulevard.
I-94 in Maplewood
The ramp from Ruth Street to westbound 94 is closed until 5 a.m. Monday for drainage repair work. Be prepared for shoulder and lane closures on 94 in the immediate area.
I-35 in Lakeville
All clear for this weekend, but starting Tuesday the stretch of Interstate 35 from County 2 at Elko to County Road 50 in Lakeville will be a single lane in each direction until November. This could be a difficult commute for those in the south. Time to think of using Cedar Avenue.
Downtown Minneapolis
No special events are scheduled for downtown, but the Lynx host the Seattle Storm at 7 p.m. Saturday at Target Center.
