Weekend traffic: Road work continues, Metro Transit revises schedules

Freeways may not be free-flowing on Interstate 35W in downtown Minneapolis and Interstate 494 in the southeast metro this weekend as construction projects will put the squeeze on travel. At times, motorists will have only one lane to use.

Backups may also form on Hwy. 169 south of Shakopee as the Minnesota Renaissance Festival opens for the season on Saturday.

The advice for transit riders is to "plan your trip and read your schedules," said Metro Transit spokesman Howie Padilla. The agency, still grappling with a driver shortage, enacts schedule changes Saturday, eliminating 65 trips on various local and express bus routes.

For this weekend only, Blue Line trains won't run from 7 p.m. Friday to noon Sunday between the 28th Avenue Station and Mall of America, due to maintenance. Starting Monday, there will be no weekday Green Line service between 2 and 4 a.m., although buses will fill in for trains.

Here are other places drivers will find weekend road construction:

1. I-35W: Both directions reduced to a single lane from 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday between Interstate 94 and Washington Avenue. 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.

4. I-494 in South St. Paul and Woodbury: Westbound I-494 reduced to two lanes between Bailey Road and Hwy. 61 and three lanes between Hwy. 61 and 7th Avenue. Eastbound down to two lanes between 7th Avenue and Hwy. 61.

5. I-494 in Mendota Heights and Sunfish Lake: Westbound reduced to one lane from Blaine Avenue to Hwy. 55, and eastbound reduced to two lanes from Interstate 35E to 7th Avenue from 6 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.

6. Hwy. 95 in Denmark Township: Both directions closed between County Road 22 and Hwy. 61 until Sept. 2.

7. Hwy. 120/Century Avenue in Oakdale: Closed between 27th and 34th streets until Nov. 1.

8. I-35W from Roseville to Lino Lakes: Lane reductions in both directions between Hwy. 10 in Mounds View and County Road E2 in Arden Hills. Additional periodic lane closures between Hwy. 36 in Roseville and Sunset Avenue in Lino Lakes. Ramps to and from southbound I-35W and Lexington Avenue closed.

10. Hwy. 10 in Mounds View: Eastbound reduced to a single lane between I-35W and County Road 96 until Sept. 2.

11. Bottineau Boulevard/County Road 81 in Brooklyn Park: Closed between N. 71st Avenue and Brooklyn Boulevard.

12. I-35W in Bloomington and Burnsville: Lane restrictions in both directions between 106th Street and Cliff Road.

13. Hwy. 3 in Inver Grove Heights: Closed from 60th Street to County Road 26 until Nov. 1.

14. Hwy. 13 in Prior Lake: Closed between Fairlawn Avenue and Marschall Road.

16. I-494 in Plymouth: Rockford Road bridge over I-494 closed.

17. Flying Cloud Drive in Eden Prairie: Closed between Hwy. 101 and Spring Road.