I-35 North Metro Split   

Join us!

Join us at an upcoming public open house at Columbus City Hall on March 19.

Traffic impacts

• Learn more about this project, including project stages and how to do the zipper merge when travelling through this project area

Note: All traffic impacts are weather dependent and subject to change.

Current

Lane closures

Nov. 26, 2018 through spring 2019

• Periodic lane closures of I-35 in both directions near Hwy 97 for bridge work
• NB I-35 may be reduced to two lanes during off peak hours between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• SB I-35 may be reduced to two lanes during off peak hours between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Upcoming

Details on upcoming traffic impacts will be provided as they become available.

Future

Spring 2019 through summer 2019

• Long-term I-35 lane closures will occur between the I-35W/I-35E split and Hwy 97
• I-35W and I-35E may be reduced to a single lane at times, just south of the split
• The NB I-35 ramps to and from Hwy 97 will close for approximately one month
  • Detour map (PDF)

Summer 2019 through fall 2019

• Long-term I-35 lane closures will continue between the I-35W/I-35E split and Hwy 97
• I-35W and I-35E may continue to be reduced to a single lane at times, just south of the split
• The ramps from Hwy 97 to SB I-35 will close for approximately one month
  • Detour map (PDF)
• The ramp from SB I-35 to Hwy 97 will remain open

About this project

Six miles of I-35 from just south of the I-35 split to a half mile north of Hwy 8 at the Chisago/Washington county line will be resurfaced. Road resurfacing helps to preserve and extend the use of the pavement. The work will also include replacing three bridges.

Summary of work

• Resurface existing pavement
• Replace the Hwy 97 bridge over I-35 with a diverging diamond interchange for better traffic flow and improved safety
• Update crosswalks at Hwy 97 to meet modern accessibility standards
• Replace the flyover ramp from WB Hwy 8 to SB I-35 with a loop ramp
• Replace the WB Hwy 8 bridge over I-35
• Replace the NB I-35W bridge over SB I-35E
• Drainage improvements

Schedule

Project staging

• Stage 1: Spring to Summer 2018 (PDF)
• Stage 2: Summer to Fall 2018 (PDF)
• Stage 3: Spring to Summer 2019 (PDF)
• Stage 4: Summer to Fall 2019 (PDF)

Fall 2017

• Site preparation, including adding temporary pavement and removing trees and bushes in the construction zone

2018

• Resurface I-35 from Hwy 97 to Hwy 8
• Construct the north half of new Hwy 97 bridge over I-35
• Embankment work and general site preparation for the new Hwy 8 bridge/ramp
• Construct the new I-35W bridge over I-35E (bridge will open to traffic in 2019)

2019

• Resurface I-35 from the I-35W/I-35E split to Hwy 97
• Resurface I-35W just south of the split
• Construct the new Hwy 8 ramp/bridge over I-35
• Resurface I-35E just south of the split
• Construct the south half of new Hwy 97 bridge over I-35 and reconstruct all ramps at the interchange

Do the Zipper Merge

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.