If downtown Minneapolis is your destination — and with a Vikings preseason game Saturday and Twins games all weekend, it will be for thousands — take note: Getting in and out will be tricky. The Minnesota Department of Transportation is shutting down a number of key ramps on I-35W, including the vital connections from southbound I-35W to westbound I-94 and multiple ramps from downtown to southbound I-35W.
Adding to the misery will be the closure of the ramp from westbound I-94 to westbound I-394 from Friday night to early Saturday afternoon.
With thousands of people heading to the Minnesota State Fair, expect heavy traffic on routes such as Hwy. 280, Hwy. 36, I-94 and on streets such as Larpenteur, Snelling and Como avenues near the fairgrounds.
Here are other places drivers will find possible traffic headaches due to weekend road construction:
Minneapolis
1. I-35W: Ramps from southbound I-35W to 11th Avenue, westbound I-94 and eastbound Hwy. 55 will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. Ramps from 3rd Street, 4th Street and Washington Avenue to southbound I-35W also closed from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. Lane reductions in both directions from 43rd Street to I-94. Ramps closed from northbound I-35W to westbound I-94 and eastbound I-94 to southbound I-35W.
2. Hennepin Avenue and 8th Street: Hennepin is a single lane in each direction between 7th and 12th streets; 8th Street closed from Hennepin to S. 2nd Avenue.
East metro
3. I-94 in Oakdale and Woodbury: Alternating lane closures in both directions at I-694/I-494 junction. Ramps from westbound I-94 to southbound I-494 and southbound I-694 to eastbound I-94, which have been closed, expected to open by Saturday.
4. I-494 in South St. Paul and Newport: Westbound lane closures between Bailey Road and 7th Avenue.