Metro District Lane Closure Manual

Request a Lane or Shoulder Closure in the Metro District

The Allowable Lane Closure Manual is used when planning and scheduling lane and/or shoulder closures on MnDOT owned and operated roadways in the Metro District. Please complete the following steps to request a lane or shoulder closure.

Step 1: Determine if a lane closure is allowed

Check the Allowable Lane Closure Report to determine the appropriate time of day for planned lane closures based on number of available lanes and traffic count data (see example). If a lane closure is not allowed, contact the appropriate Metro District Work Zone Supervisor to discuss. 

Step 2: Complete the Lane Closure Form

The Metro District Lane Closure Form is a one-page document used for listing pertinent information about the purposed/requested lane closure.

For additional information or help with the form, please contact the appropriate Metro District Work Zone Supervisor.

Step 3: Submit the Lane Closure Form

The Lane Closure Form submittal is required at least 3 business days prior to the proposed lane closure. (This is a work in progress since there are existing contracts that specify 2 days.) and a full weekend closure requires 14 days advance notice.

• Submit the completed Lane Closure Form to MetroLC.DOT@state.mn.us by:
• Monday closure - previous Wednesday, 9 a.m.
• Tuesday closure - previous Thursday, 9 a.m.
• Wednesday closure - previous Friday, 9 a.m.
• Thursday closure - previous Monday, 9 a.m.
• Friday closure - previous Tuesday, 9 a.m.
• Metro Maintenance Dispatch receives the Lane Closure Form and enters the information into 511MN.org. At this point, Maintenance Dispatch is looking for conflicts or issues.
• After the data is entered in MN511.org, Metro Traffic reviews the closures and attempts to mitigate any conflicts that may occur.
• Generally, lane closures are allowed/approved/granted/awarded based on a first come, first serve basis.
• Metro staff holds a weekly Monday meeting to discuss the upcoming planned closures. This group consists of Central Office and Metro District Construction, State Aid, Public Affairs, RTMC, Maintenance, and Traffic.

Important!

• Shoulder closures are not allowed between 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. or between 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., unless the Allowable Lane Closure Report indicates at least one lane may be closed.
• These reports do not cover auxiliary lanes, ramps, or loops.
• If lane closures are needed in a location not addressed by these reports or for a special event impacts and public notification requirements, contact the Metro District Work Zone Supervisor.
• Questions about traffic data should be directed to Metro District Traffic Engineering or the RTMC.
  
• If a requested lane closure overlaps two or more adjacent report segments, please use the most restrictive report segment. 
• Allowable lane closures are typically short-term (12 hours or less) and will not divert or detour traffic. Advance notice signs (installed days in advance of a closure/project) are not typically required for lane closures allowed by this manual. The Temporary Traffic Control Field Manual, from the Minnesota Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MnMUTCD), provides information on typical traffic control layouts, which may be used during a lane closure.
• This manual does not apply to emergency road maintenance and repairs that must be performed without planning. Field staff and the necessity of the situation determines the course of action and Metro Maintenance Dispatch should be notified.