News Release

Crews under contract with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) will begin installing a new lighting system inside the I-94 Lowry Hill Tunnel at 11 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12, 2003.

Crews will begin work in the WESTBOUND lanes first.

Westbound motorists can expect two lanes to be closed inside the tunnel beginning at 11 p.m. All lanes of westbound I-94 inside the tunnel will re-open to traffic the following day at 5 a.m.
Mn/DOT expects the westbound phase of this lighting project be completed by Jan. 27, 2003.
Eastbound lane closures are scheduled to begin on Jan. 27, 2003 and should be completed by
Feb. 10, 2003.

Similarly, eastbound motorists can expect two lanes to be closed inside the Lowry Hill Tunnel beginning at 11 p.m. All lanes of eastbound I-94 inside the tunnel will re-open to traffic the following day by 5 a.m.

Identical work will begin inside the I-94 Portland Ave. Tunnel beginning in February and should be completed by late March. A lane closure schedule will be issued in February 2003.

A total of 536 fixtures will replace the 1,563 fixtures inside the Lowry Hill tunnel.

The new lighting system will result in lower maintenance costs and increased uniform light for greater traffic safety. Crews also will install dual-beam lighting at each tunnel entrance to allow drivers' eyes to adjust more easily from light levels outside of the tunnels to light levels inside the tunnels.

The Lowry Hill tunnel and its original aluminum lighting system were designed and built in the 1970s. A 1991 lighting justification report recommended additional lighting be installed inside the tunnel, and Mn/DOT complied. However, significant corrosion appeared within two years.

The new lighting system is made of stainless steel, which can withstand the demands of almost any climate and temperature and lasts longer than fixtures made of aluminum.

Mn/DOT urges motorists to drive with caution during these lane closures and reminds them to SLOW DOWN in the work zone and NEVER enter a roadway that has been blocked with barriers or cones. Please join us in a safety partnership.

For updated traffic information in the Twin Cities metro area, dial 511 or log on to 511mn.org.