Minnesota Department of Transportation

511 Travel Info

35W@94: Downtown to Crosstown

Minneapolis

Traffic impacts

Learn more about this project, including project staging, and how to move through the project area, including how to do the zipper merge.

What's new this week?

Details about new closures this week will be posted when available.

Road closures

10 p.m. Fri, Sept. 13 to noon Sat, Sept. 14
10 p.m. Fri, Sept. 13 through 5 a.m. Mon, Sept. 16

Ramp closures

Fri, Sept. 13 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • The ramp from NB I-35W to 31st St./Lake St. is closed

Bridges by location

Ramps by location

Some of the ramp closures listed below are multi-year closures. This is needed to allow motorists to safely travel through the project area during the reconstruction of I-35W. The number of lanes will be reduced and shifted at various times which makes ramp access to/from I-35W difficult for vehicles.

Access into downtown from NB I-35W is one northbound lane to allow for ongoing construction in the area. Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes or use transit to travel in/out of downtown.

Routes into downtown

Access from NB I-35W to 5th Ave. S – OPEN
  • April 22 through September 2019 for reconstruction. The ramp is temporarily reopened through mid-September.

Routes into downtown

  • Closed June 8, 2018 through fall 2021
    • Detour: 3rd Ave., 4th St. to SB I-35W (PDF)
    • Access out of downtown to SB I-35W is only open to buses; it will remain closed for all other vehicles for the duration of the project. Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes or use transit to travel in/out of downtown. The long-term closure is needed to allow ongoing construction in the area and to maintain effective transit operations on the limited number of available lanes on southbound I-35W. Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes or use transit to travel in/out of downtown.
    • Routes out of downtown

Closed May 18, 2018 through fall 2021
  • Detour: WB I-694, WB Hwy 62, NB Hwy 100, EB I-394 (PDF)
  • This ramp is being fully reconstructed. Once complete, motorists will no longer merge on the right side of WB I-94; instead, motorists will merge on the left side and will have a dedicated lane through the Lowry Tunnel, helping to reduce congestion. The Lyndale Ave./Hennepin Ave. exit will still be accessible from WB I-94.
  • Prior to the reconstruction of the ramp, there are additional construction activities in the I-35W/I-94 junction that need to happen and have been in full swing since mid-June 2018. Highway lanes will be reduced and shifted at various times and construction of the new ramp piers would not allow traffic to be safely switched around.

5th Ave. ramp to NB I-35W – CLOSED

NB I-35W to 31st St./Lake St. – CLOSED
  • Fri, Sept. 13 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
31st St. to SB I-35W ramp – CLOSED

SB I-35W to 35th St. ramp – CLOSED
35th St. to NB I-35W ramp – CLOSED

36th St. to SB I-35W ramp – CLOSED
  • Closed March 2, 2018 through fall 2021
    • Detour: Portland Ave. to 46th St. (PDF)
    • The number of southbound lanes will be reduced and shifted at various times while crews work for the three years after the 38th St. bridge reopens. This will make it difficult for vehicles entering from 36th St. to safely merge onto SB I-35W.

SB I-35W to 46th St. ramp
  • Watch for periodic short-term closures through fall 2020

Highway work by location

NB I-35W between Hwy 62 and I-94 – CLOSED
  • 10 p.m. Fri, Sept. 13 through noon Sat, Sept. 14
    • Detour: WB Hwy 62, NB Hwy 100, EB I-394, EB I-94, Hwy 280
NB I-35W between I-94 and Hwy 280 – CLOSED
  • 10 p.m. Fri, Sept. 13 through 5 a.m. Mon, Sept. 16
    • Detour: I-94 and Hwy 280
NB I-35W is reduced to three lanes through fall 2021
  • MnPASS Express Lanes remain open

SB I-35W between I-94 and Hwy 280 – CLOSED
  • 10 p.m. Fri, Sept. 13 through 5 a.m. Mon, Sept. 16
    • Detour: I-94 and Hwy 280
SB I-35W is reduced to three lanes through fall 2021

Local road work by location

2nd Ave. between 31st St. and 32nd St. – CLOSED
  • Closed Mon, Sept. 9 through mid-October
SB Second Ave. between 40th St. and 42nd St. – CLOSED
  • Closed Mon, Aug. 19 through early November

*This closure is part of the I-35W drainage improvement project.

4th Ave. between 22nd St. and 25th St. – CLOSED
  • Closed June 18, 2018 through September 2019

Clinton Ave. between 26th St. and 3rd Ave. – CLOSED
  • Closed Sep. 17, 2018 through September 2019

Lake St. between Nicollet Ave. and 2nd Ave. – LANE REDUCTIONS
  • Mon, Aug. 26 through Spring 2020

31st St. has reduced lanes between Stevens Ave. and 2nd Ave.
  • Reduced lanes through fall 2021

Stevens Ave. between the Midtown Greenway and Lake St. – CLOSED
  • Closed Oct. 22, 2018 through September 2019
Stevens Ave. between 31st St. and Lake St. – CLOSED
  • Closed August 2019 through Fall 2019
Stevens Ave. between 31st St. and 34th St. – CLOSED
  • Closed April 2 through September 2019
Stevens Ave. between 31st St. and 35th St. – CLOSED
  • Closed Oct. 22, 2018 through September 2019

Trail and sidewalk impacts

Sidewalks are closed on the following roads:
  • South side of Lake St. between Stevens Ave. and 2nd Ave. S
  • South side of 31st St. between Stevens Ave. and 2nd Ave. S

About this project

35W@94: Downtown to Crosstown full project map
35W@94: Downtown to Crosstown stage 3 map
Click map for larger PDF version.

Summary of work

Work on 35W@94: Downtown to Crosstown will include:

  • Converting NB I-35W Priced Dynamic Shoulder Lane between 46th St. and 26th St. to a permanent MnPASS Lane
  • Constructing a new MnPASS lane on SB I-35W from 26th St. to 46th St.
  • Constructing Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit Station at Lake St.
  • Improving access from I-35W to the Lake Street Business District by constructing two new exit ramps (NB I-35W to 28th St. and SB I-35W to Lake St.
  • Upgrading accessibility by improving pedestrian accommodations with pedestrian curb ramps and sidewalk upgrades.
  • Rehabilitating pavement and bridges on I-35W from 46th St. to 11th Ave., Hwy 65 from 26th St. to 15th St., and I-94 from Nicollet Ave. to Park Ave.
  • Constructing new and rehabilitating existing noise barriers throughout the project limits.

Project schedule and staging

The 35W@94 Downtown to Crosstown project will be done in five stages. Learn more about the stages and anticipated schedule.

Do the Zipper Merge

Hwy 8 Drainange Improvements project area location map

Zipper Merge Logo.

Click for Zipper Merge Video.

When you encounter a construction zone where a lane will be closed, perform the zipper merge. A zipper merge occurs when motorists use both lanes of traffic until reaching the defined merge area, and then alternate in a "zipper" fashion into the open lane.