Weekend traffic: Twin Cities Marathon, Vikings, Lynx could bring big traffic disruptions

Downtown Minneapolis will become a sports mecca — and perhaps a driver's nightmare — on Sunday as more than 100,000 people descend on the city for the 35th running of the Twin Cities Marathon, a Vikings game, and Lynx game.

A large swath of downtown in the vicinity of U.S. Bank Stadium will be off limits to vehicles starting at 5 a.m. as setup for the 26.2-mile race from Minneapolis to the State Capitol in St. Paul gets underway. The race starts at 8 a.m. at 6th Street and Portland Avenue, but traffic will be prohibited in the area from 5th Avenue to 11th Avenue and from 6th Street to 3rd Street until approximately 9 a.m. when runners are expected to clear the area.

That's about the time fans heading to the Vikings-Houston Texans game will be making their way into town for a noon kickoff. Game day closures include Chicago Avenue between 4th and 6th Streets, Norm McGrew Place between 3rd and 4th Street and 4th Street from Park Avenue to I-35W.

Then two hours later, the Lynx tip off Game 1 of the WNBA finals at Target Center. While no road closures will be in place for the game, parking could be a challenge as downtown ramps are expected to be full because of the marathon and Vikings game.

Event rates will be in effect all day at parking meters in downtown Minneapolis.

Getting around downtown and other parts of Minneapolis during the marathon could put drivers on an endurance test of their own as runners make their way around the Chain of Lakes, along Minnehaha Parkway, up West River Road and along Summit Avenue to the State Capitol. Most of the road closures along the course will go into effect around 7:30 a.m. The Franklin Avenue Bridge crossing the Mississippi River in Minneapolis will be closed from roughly 5:45 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Marathon officials suggest using Interstate Hwy. 94 and I-35W in Minneapolis to bypass the racecourse. In St. Paul, motorists are advised to use I-35E or Ayd Mill Road or Grand Avenue to get around the finish line and numerous road closures around the State Capitol. Those include 12th Street from Wabasha to John Ireland Blvd. from 5 a.m. to noon Saturday and 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Elsewhere, drivers will find the westbound lanes of I-694 closed between I-35W and Hwy. 252 through 5 a.m. Monday and a single lane on westbound I-94 in St. Paul and Maple Grove.

Here is your weekend road construction guide:

1. Westbound I-94 in Maple Grove: Westbound single lane from 95th Avenue N. and Hwy. 101 through 5 a.m. Monday.

2. I-494 in Plymouth/Maple Grove: Lane restrictions between Fish Lake Road in Maple Grove and Hwy. 55 in Plymouth.

3. Hwy. 100 in St. Louis Park: Lane restrictions in the vicinity of Hwy. 7 and Excelsior Blvd.

5. Westbound I-694 in New Brighton: Closed through 5 a.m. Monday from I-35W to Hwy. 252.

6. I-35W in Mounds View: Lanes narrow in the vicinity of County Road H due to bridge construction.

7. I-694 in Shoreview: Westbound traffic has two lanes separated by a concrete barrier between I-35E and Lexington Avenue.

8. I-35E in the northeast metro: Intermittent lane closures between County E and Main Street. County 96 is closed from Manning Avenue to Dellwood Road.

9. Hwy. 8 in Franconia: Closed between the south junction of Hwy. 95 in Franconia and downtown Taylors Falls.

11. I-94 from St. Paul to Maplewood: Westbound from Hwy. 61 to Mounds Blvd. single lane until early Sunday.

12. Hwy. 36 at Lexington Avenue in Roseville: Eastbound is still using a bypass at Lexington Avenue.

13. Hwy. 5 in St. Paul: Right lanes closed from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily.

14. Washington Avenue in Minneapolis: Westbound lanes closed from 5th Avenue to Hennepin Avenue S.

15. Cedar Avenue in Eagan: Reduced to two lanes between Diffley Road and Nicols Road. Ramp from westbound Hwy. 13 to northbound Cedar closed.