Traffic Safety Encouraged During Holiday Weekend

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Although most road construction is shut down over the Labor Day holiday, there are still highway work zones in place around the state, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation urges motorists to use extra caution while driving  this weekend.

“Although major construction projects will be on hold for the weekend, motorists may still encounter lane restrictions and traffic delays,” said Commissioner Charlie Zelle. “Your safety is important to us, so we ask that you plan your routes, stay alert and drive carefully in work zones.”

Changes for the weekend include the removal of the detour for Highway 169 between St. Peter and Mankato, and opening all lanes of traffic on Interstate 94 between St. Cloud and Collegeville.

Highway projects that may affect weekend travel Sept. 2-5 include:

Twin Cities area

·         Highway 61 in Forest Lake – single-lane traffic

·         Highway 36 at Lexington Avenue – Lexington Avenue closed, eastbound lanes of Highway 36 on a bypass and ramp closures

·         I-94 between St. Paul and Maplewood – two lanes westbound and three lanes eastbound open, crews working in median Friday and Saturday

·         I-494 in Plymouth – multiple lane and ramp closures

·         Highway 100 in St. Louis Park – ramp closures and lane shift

·         I-694 between Rice Street in Little Canada and Lexington Avenue in Arden Hills – westbound traffic split into two lanes, Rice Street and Lexington Avenue ramps now open

·         Highway 8 between Highway 95 and Taylor Falls – closed, detour

·         Highway 25 in Buffalo – detour, lane closures on Highway 55 at intersection

·         Highway 5 bridge between St. Paul and MSP Airport – single lane traffic and ramp closures

Central Minnesota 

·         I-94 between St. Cloud and Collegeville – all lanes open from noon on Thursday through Tuesday at 9 a.m.

·         Highway 169 north of Milaca – one lane each direction, slow or stopped traffic (major delays)

·         I-35 between Pine City and Hinckley – lane shifts and slow traffic (major delays)

·         I-94/Highway 29 in Alexandria – single lane on Highway 29, expect delays near I-94

Northern Minnesota   

·         County Road 11 in Pequot Lakes – closed east of Highway 371 – detour

·         Highway 371 in Pequot Lakes – temporary signal at Derkson Road, County Road 11 detour

·         I-94/Highway 75 in Moorhead – ramp closures, detour

·         Highway 61 just north of Grand Marais – single lane

·         Highway 61 south of Two Harbors between the Homestead Road and the Knife River Bridge – single laneProject complete

·         I-535 Blatnik Bridge in Duluth – both southbound lanes and one northbound lane closed, detour

·         Highway 9 between Ada and Borup – detour

Southern Minnesota    

·         Highway 169 between St. Peter and Mankato – lane restrictions

·         Highway 14 between Nicollet and New Ulm - detour

·         Highway 23 between Granite Falls and Cottonwood - detour

·         Highway 52 at Highway 63 in Rochester – single lane traffic

For a complete list of projects, including construction dates and traffic impacts, visit www.mndot.gov/roadwork/current.html. Motorists may also sign up to receive email updates for major projects at www.mndot.gov/emailupdates.