This weekend in traffic: State Fair, I-494 closure and bus route changes

Getting around town will be easier than it has been the past couple of weekends, but there will be a closure on I-494 in Bloomington and I-35 through Lakeville.

Weekend traffic map

The weather looks like it will ideal for munching on a pronto pup or anything else on a stick while wandering through the Minnesota State Fair and that means large crowds and lots of traffic on Snelling Avenue, Hwy. 36, Larpenteur Avenue and other routes leading to the Great Minnesota Get Together.

Getting to the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee will be much easier now that Hwy. 169 over the Bloomington Ferry Bridge has all lanes open.

The area around Midway Stadium will be busier than normal with fans heading to the St. Paul Saints vs. the Gary South Shore Rail Cats baseball games Friday through Sunday adding to the congestion. The Minnesota Lynx have a home game against Indiana at 6 p.m. Saturday at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis..

Metro Transit debuts new bus routes in the western suburbs and introduces schedule changes on scores of other routes. (see below).

Here is a guide to what to expect around town this weekend, but first a plea from MnDOT. Slow down and use caution in work zones. This comes after a construction worker cutting concrete was struck by a motorist on I-694 in Fridley. The worker is okay, but this is a reminder to be alert and give the workers room.

The big closure this weekend will be on I-494 in Bloomington. The westbound lanes will be closed for repaving between I-35W and Hwy. 100. The closure will start at 10 p.m. Friday and last until 4 a.m. Monday. Eastbound lanes will remain open.

Detour: 35W north to Crosstown, then west to Hwy. 100 and south on Hwy. 100.

Hwy. 3 in Inver Grove Heights

The highway will be closed between 70th Street and Allen Way. Crews will be installing a new culvert. Detour: County Road 26 (270th Street), to Babcock Trail to 80th Street.

I-35W in Mounds View

The ramp from northbound 35W to westbound County Road 10 also will be closed. Access to Welsch's Big Ten Tavern and Scherer Brothers Lumber will remain open. Detour: North on 35W to County Road I, then back south to County Road H.

The right lane of southbound 35W will be closed on Saturday from County Road H and County 96 for shoulder work.

When paving operations on 35W wrap up, action will shift on Sunday evening to westbound County Road 10 from County Road H and 35W.

I-35 in Burnsville and Lakeville

This project is expected to create big backups for motorists trying to get out of Dodge this weekend. Southbound will be a single lane from the I-35W/35E split down to County Road 50. Concrete repair will be in progress from 7 p.m. Friday until 1 p.m. Monday.

Hwy. 65 in Spring Lake Park

Crews wil be painting the beams of a new pedestrian bridge from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. As a result, Hwy. 65 will be closed in both directions from Osborne Road to 81st Av. NE. Detour: Use 35W and I-694, or University Avenue to get around the closure.

Speaking of University Avenue, the intersection of University and Broadway in northeast Minneapolis will be down to a single lane from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Crews also will be paving between Central and 3rd Avenues so look for a single lane and traffic delays there.

Hwy. 47 in St. Francis/Ramsey

Look for periodic lane closures Friday through early September as a pavement repair project gets underway. Flaggers will direct traffic between Alpine Drive and Ramsey and Pederson Drive in St. Francis.

The nightmare on the Bloomington Ferry Bridge is over, but one closure will go into effect at 10 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday. That is the ramp from westbound Hwy. 101 to northbound Hwy. 169.

Hwy. 10 in Anoka

This ongoing project has the highways reduced to a single lane in each direction between Greenhaven Drive and 7th Avenue. It is expected to wrap up by next Friday.

Ongoing projects

Hwy 36 is closed in both directions between White Bear Avenue and Hwy 61 until Aug. 31, and single-lane traffic between Hwy 61 and Edgerton Street until Sept. 28.. Ramp closures include northbound Hwy 61 to eastbound Hwy 36; westbound Hwy 36 to northbound Hwy 61; southbound Hwy 61 to westbound Hwy 36.

Athletes participating in the Minneapolis Duathlon will make their way around the city on Sunday. From 6:50 a.m. to 10:50 a.m., the following roads and parkways will be closed:

New Metro Transit bus routes

Big changes will take effect on several Metro Transit bus routes, especially in the western suburbs and in St. Paul starting Saturday.

Metro Transit is launching new Route 614 to better connect residents with shopping centers. It will provide service between Ridgedale Center in Minnetonka and the Minnetonka Heights apartment complex. Service will run 5:15 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4:20 Saturdays. The route will go along Ridgedale Drive, Plymouth Road, Minnetonka Blvd. and County Road 101.

The new route is impacting several other routes in the western suburbs of Minnetonka, Hopkins, St. Louis Park, Deephaven, Greenwood, Excelsior, Shorewood and Tonka Bay. For a list of those changes, click here for changes to routes 9C, 9N, 615, 664, 665, 667E, 670 and 671.

Route 21 between Marshall Avenue and downtown St. Paul

Route 54 on W. 7th Street from downtown St. Paul to the Mall of America and MSP airport.

Route 62 on Rice Street between Little Canada and downtown St. Paul

Route 64 between Maplewood Mall and downtown St. Paul.

Route 65 on Dale Street between Rosedale Center and Selby Avenue.

Route 74 along Randolph Avenue and W. 7th Street out to St. Paul's Highland neighborhood.