City of Minneapolis Traffic Alerts Update x3

Guess you picked the wrong weekend to own a car in Minneapolis...

Several Downtown streets close for Sunday, June 27 Pride Parade
Minneapolis will close several streets in downtown on Sunday, June 27 for the Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade. The following streets will be closed:

Beginning at 8 a.m.:

3rd Street South will close from Hennepin Avenue to Portland Avenue.

Beginning at 10:30 a.m.:

Hennepin Avenue will close from 3rd Street South to Spruce Place.

Traffic will be allowed to cross Hennepin Avenue at 4th, 5th, 7th, 10th, 11th and 12th streets.

Spruce Place will close from Hennepin Avenue to Yale Place.

Yale Place will close from Spruce Place to Loring Park.

These streets will reopen following the parade at about 3 p.m.

Stretch of I-35W in Minneapolis to close June 25 weekend for ramp work

A stretch of I-35W between I-94 and Highway 280 will close for the weekend beginning at 10 p.m. on Friday, June 25. Southbound I-35W ramps on this stretch will close one hour earlier at 9 p.m. During the full closure of I-35W this weekend, motorists will be detoured to I-94 and Highway 280. Motorists should anticipate delays or plan on taking alternate routes. The roadway and ramps are scheduled to re-open at 5:30 a.m., Monday, June 28.

The closure is necessary as Minnesota Department of Transportation crews begin a major rehabilitation of the ramp from Interstate 94 to 5th Street in Minneapolis. The 5th Street ramp spans Interstate 35W and necessitates the closure.

The ramp to 5th Street from westbound I-94 will be closed beginning at 8 p.m. June 25 and will remain closed until July 31. Motorists will be detoured to the 11th Street exit in order to access 5th Street.

In addition, overnight I-35W lane closures will occur at I-94 during the week before and after the full closure. For real-time traveler information anywhere in Minnesota, visit 511mn.org.

Buses to replace light-rail service June 25-27 weekend

Road and rail maintenance work will affect light-rail service on a significant portion of the Hiawatha line the weekend of June 25-27. Buses will replace trains between Target Field Station and Fort Snelling Station from 10:30 p.m., Friday, June 25 until 3:30 a.m., Monday, June 28. Trains will operate normally between Fort Snelling Station and Mall of America Station.

Buses will mirror the light-rail schedule during the shutdown, and Metro Transit staff will be at key locations to direct customers to their buses. In downtown Minneapolis, replacement bus service will operate on 4th Street.

Light-rail service is being suspended on this portion of the Hiawatha line to allow road work at the Fifth Street exit ramp off of I-94 into downtown Minneapolis and for other rail maintenance along the line. During this time, platform edge tiles at Lake Street/Midtown Station will also be replaced. Full train service will be restored in time for the Monday morning rush hour.

Metro Transit operates the Hiawatha Line. Customers boarded Hiawatha trains 4 million times during the first five months of 2010, 5.3 percent higher than the same period last year. Metro Transit is a service of the Metropolitan Council.

Project updates will be available on the Rail Maintenance Hotline at 612-373-3333, option 6.