Weekend traffic: Low Labor Day gas prices, but a bevy of road construction projects

There is great news for motorists who will take advantage of the Labor Day weekend to head to the cabin or lake as gas prices have dropped to their lowest level for the holiday weekend since 2004, according to AAA.

The bad news is that road construction could thwart drivers leaving town or moving around the metro area.

"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 and make it a safe weekend for everyone."

Statewide, law enforcement will be looking for drunken drivers as an enforcement campaign runs through Monday.

For those staying in town, traffic generating events include the final weekend of the Minnesota State Fair and the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee. The Lynx have home games Friday and Sunday at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis and the Saints have baseball games Friday through Sunday at CHS Field in downtown St. Paul.

Metro Transit buses and light-rail trains will follow a Sunday/holiday schedule Monday. MVTA buses and the Metro Red Line also will follow a holiday schedule Monday. Northstar trains will not operate.

Here are places motorists could experience delays this weekend:

• Lane and ramp closures on I-35E between Little Canada Road and I-94 through Maplewood and St. Paul.

• Lane and ramp closures on Hwy. 5/W. 7th Street between Ft. Snelling and Davern Street in St. Paul.

• Hwy 5 between East Scandia Road near Waconia and County Road 11 in Victoria is closed until mid-September.

• Armstrong Boulevard is closed north of Hwy 10 through October. Look for lane restrictions on Hwy. 10.

• Hwy 13 is closed between 2nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Mendota and Lilydale. The detour is via Hwy. 110 and I-35E.

• Hwy 169 between Hwy 21 and Hwy 282 in Jordan is reduced to a single lane with a speed limit of 45 miles per hour through late October. Expect heavier volumes of traffic around the Minnesota Renaissance Festival in Shakopee.

• A number of ramp closures and lane shifts are in place on Hwy. 100 between 36th Street and I-394 in St. Louis Park.

• The ramp from northbound I-35W to County Road 96 and from County Road 96 to southbound 35W is closed until October. County Road 96 is a single lane in each direction across the interstate.

• The ramp southbound I-35E to southbound Hwy 52/eastbound I-94 is closed through early November.