Weekend Transit tips: Metro Transit track work, tournaments and big events will bring delays

It's tournament time in the cities as the Boys' High School Basketball Tournament plays at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis while the WCHA college hockey tournament invades the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul.

Additionally, the Minnesota Wild have a home game at the X on Saturday afternoon. The RiverCenter will host a Mary Kay Career Conference and the Donnie Smith Bike Show all day Saturday. At night, there is a Minnesota RollerGirls meet in Roy Wilkins Auditorium.

Metro Transit also plans weekend track work on one of the busiest segments of the Hiawatha Light Rail line.

Here is a guide to getting around the Twin Cities this weekend:

In St. Paul

Saturday promises to be the busiest and craziest day in the capital city with thousands expected to take in the finals of WCHA Final Five tournament at 7 p.m. and a Minnesota Wild game at 1 p.m. With all those fans and vehicles in St. Paul, leave early and allow ample time to get downtown and find a place to park.

In addition to the hockey games, scores of representatives from Mary Kay cosmetics will be in the adjoining building from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., so you'll be competing with them for the prime parking spots.

To ease congestion, the Donnie Smith Bike Show will offer a free shuttle to and from the Union Depot Lot C, 390 E. Kellogg Blvd. Shuttles will from from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.

Fans catching the Minnesota RollerGirls match can park at O'Gara's at 164 Snelling Av. N. and ride a free shuttle to Roy Wilkins Auditorium. Use the lot or street parking near the bar, and take the shuttle at 6:15 or 7 p.m.

In Minneapolis

Things should not be as crazy in Minneapolis, but there will be extra traffic around Target Center where the semifinals of the Boy's State High School Basketball Tournament take place Friday and championship games on Saturday. Look for signs directing you to ramps on 4th, 5th and 7th Streets.

Over at the Minneapolis Convention Center, those looking to escape winter can wander through the Northwest Sportshow and dream about warm weather that supposedly is on the horizon. The Pet Expo also will be going on so parking will be tight.

Metro Transit track work

Metro Transit will shut down light-rail service between the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America for weekend track work.

Buses will shuttle passengers between stations from 3:30 a.m. Saturday to 3:30 a.m. Monday. Stations that will be affected are: Terminal 1 (Lindbergh), Terminal 2 (Humphrey), American Boulevard, Bloomington Central, 28th Avenue and the Mall of America.

Trains will operate as usual north of the airport to downtown Minneapolis.