Weekend traffic: Fireworks, festivals and a full slate of road work

The three-day Independence Day holiday weekend looks to be warm and dry, just about perfect for watching the scores of Twin Cities area fireworks displays that will draw crowds to shows both large and small Friday and Saturday nights.

Roads leading to the pyrotechnics and related festivities will see heavier levels of traffic, including around the Taste of Minnesota Friday through Sunday at the Carver County Fairgrounds in Waconia and in downtown Minneapolis where the finish line of a half marathon, family activities and fireworks on Saturday will have streets along the Mississippi River closed. Look for extra traffic around Como Park in St. Paul, home of the Hmong International Freedom Celebration.

On the sports scene, the Lynx are home with a game against Seattle Friday night at Target Center while the St. Paul Saints have home games Friday through Sunday at CHS Field in downtown St. Paul.

Transit will operate on a Saturday schedule Friday, meaning reduced service on buses and trains. Saturday and holiday schedules will be in effect on July 4 and 5. Check schedules at Metro Transit, MVTA, SouthWest Transit, and Maple Grove Transit. No service on Plymouth Metrolink buses Friday.

A bevy of road construction projects could hamper travel both in the metro area and outstate. Here is a look at the local picture, and a plea for drivers to be careful when traveling through construction zones.

"While we shut down many projects over the Fourth of July holiday, there are still many work zones around the state that will affect travel," said MnDOT Commissioner Charlie Zelle. "We ask drivers to pay attention in work zones, plan ahead and perhaps consider alternate routes."

I-35E in St. Paul

Detour: Use Jackson Street, University Avenue, Lafayette Road, Tedesco Road, and Payne Avenue.

For the rest of the stretch, plan on two lanes open on the southbound side and three on the northbound side. A number of ramps are closed and be prepared for new lane configurations as you pass through the area.

Hwy. 100 in St. Louis Park

The highway is reduced to two lanes in each direction between Cedar Lake Road and Excelsior Blvd. Reminder that these ramps between Cedar Lake Road and Excelsior Blvd. remained closed:

Snelling Avenue in St. Paul

Hwy. 5/West 7th Street near Ft. Snelling

The road is down to a single lane in both directions between Ft. Snelling (Hwy. 55) to Shepard Road.

Additionally, eastbound Hwy. 5 ramps to Edgcumbe Road, Shepard Road and Mississippi River Boulevard are closed through late September.

The bridge over the Mississippi River is being redecked, Expect backups along W. 7th Street and onto the Mendota Bridge and back into St. Paul starting at Davern Street.

The best alternate might be to take I-35E to cross the Mississippi River, then scoot over on Hwy. 110 and skip W. 7th Street altogether.

Both directions of the highways are closed between 2nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Mendota at Lilydale. This will be in place until Aug. 22. Detour is via I-35E and Hwy. 110.

I-494 in Plymouth and Maple Grove

Two northbound lanes will be open and one southbound lane open Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon. That's when MnDOT will slide the moveable barrier over to create a second southbound lane to accommodate folks returning from out of town. From Sunday afternoon until Monday afternoon, northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane.

Several ramp closures also are in place:

Hwy. 10 in Ramsey

Kellogg Boulevard in downtown St. Paul

Kellogg is closed between Market Street and Wabasha Street until November. Additionally, the southbound lanes on the Wabasha Bridge, and the northbound lanes of the Exchange Street viaduct will be shut down for the duration of the project.

During the closure, motorists will be directed to use 7th Street and Robert Street.

Minnehaha Avenue in south Minneapolis

Reconstruction of Minnehaha Avenue between Nawadaha Blvd. and 42nd Street is nearing completion, and action starting in mid-July will shift between 42nd Street and 38th Street.

This week the intersection of Minnehaha Avenue and 43rd Street closed for up to 10 days. Reconstruction of Minnehaha Avenue south of 42nd Street continues.

Franklin Avenue bridge

Motor vehicle traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction across the Mississippi River.

West River Parkway has been closed north of the Franklin Avenue Bridge since June 2014 due to mudslide repair work that will be completed by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board. These traffic changes are still in place:

• North on West River Parkway to east on Franklin Avenue: Ramp open.
• North on West River Parkway to west on Franklin Avenue: Follow E. 25th Street to S. 31st Avenue. Then take a left on Franklin Avenue.
• East on Franklin Avenue to south on W. River Parkway: Ramp open.
• West on Franklin Avenue to south on W. River Parkway: Follow S. 31st Avenue to E. 25th Street and take a right on W. River Parkway

Earlier this month, Hennepin County closed County Road 101 from Minnetonka Boulevard (County Road 5) to Breezy Point Road in Minnetonka and Woodland. County Road 101 (Bushaway Road) is closed to through traffic. All non-local traffic should follow the marked detour using Minnetonka Boulevard, I-494, and Hwy. 12.

Here is the latest update from Hennepin County: Old Excelsior Boulevard remains closed to through traffic for the next several weeks as construction crews continue relocating utilities. Access to Old Excelsior Boulevard is available only to local residents and businesses. All others please follow signed detour using Hutchins Drive to Porter Avenue.

Because of restricted sight lines and safety concerns, access from the north entrance of Red Cherry Lane onto County Road 101 has been closed. Please use the south entrance to exit onto County Road 101.

I-94 in St. Michael

Motorists heading out of town for the weekend might encounter delays on I-94. The same is true on the return trip. MnDOT is repaving the freeway between Hwy. 241 in St. Michael and County Road 18 near Monticello. Nightly lane closures will be in place from 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. while crews resurface nine miles of the roadway. Also be aware of a lane shift near the Crow River Bridge.

West metro drivers on Hwy. 5 have two closures: in Waconia between County Road 10 and Oak Avenue until Aug. 1, and in Victoria between E. Scandia Road and County Road 11 until September.

Hwy. 169 between Hwy. 21 and Hwy. 282 is reduced to a single lane and a speed limit of 45 miles per hour through late October.

Minneapolis Parkways

On Friday night between 6 and 11 p.m., Main Street SE. from 6th Avenue SE to Merriam Avenue, the Stone Arch Bridge and West River Parkway from Plymouth Ave to the Stone Arch Bridge will be closed for the Hot Dam 5K.

Runners participating in the Red, White and Boom Half Marathon will take over the following streets between 6 a.m. and noon Saturday: Main Street SE from 6th Avenue SE to N Plymouth Ave, Theodore Wirth Parkway from Plymouth Avenue N. to Memorial Parkway, Memorial Parkway from Theodore Wirth Parkway to Webber Parkway, and Webber Parkway from Memorial Parkway to Lyndale Ave N.