Weekend Shutdown of I-35W Section Will Affect Roseville Motorists

Minnesota's unofficial fifth season, road construction, will be in full force this weekend with a section of Interstate 35W near Roseville closed for maintenance and repairs.

In a press statement, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said, "Northbound I-35W between the Minneapolis downtown exits and Highway 280 in Roseville will close at 10 p.m. Friday, May 10.  

Motorists are advised to follow the posted detours during the closures.

Meanwhile, MnDOT added that the project to reconstruct the Park and Portland Avenue Bridges spanning Interstates 94 and 35W in Minneapolis will require the full closing of southbound I-35W between the Highway 55 and the I-94/35W split, eastbound I-94 between the I-35W/94 split and Highway 55 and westbound I-94 between Highway 280 and the Minneapolis downtown exits at 10 p.m. Friday, May 10.

With both projects, "all affected roadways will re-open by 5 a.m. Monday ( May 13)," MnDOT said.

 "During the closure of northbound I-35W between the downtown exits and Highway 280, MnDOT crews will conduct a full complement of roadway maintenance tasks," the state agency said. That work includes "milling and patching pavement, repairing signs, refreshing pavement markings, inspecting and repairing electrical systems, clearing and repairing drainage structures, repairing guardrails, sweeping roadways and removing debris and foliage."

Meanwhile, the Park Avenue and Portland Avenue bridges reconstruction project seeks to preserve the bridge decks that span the I-94 and I-35W commons section, MnDOT said. 

MnDOT officials said the goal of doing the road work on the weekend is to "lessen the number of daily non-rush hour lane closures needed within this segment of roadway during the summer season and to be more efficient with the resources at MnDOT’s disposal. The work is weather dependent and may be rescheduled in the case of inclement weather."

For real-time travel information anywhere in Minnesota, visit www.511.org or dial 5-1-1.