New I-35 Ramp Closures, Lane Closures Starting Soon In Minnesota

Spring has sprung, and that's good news for a lot of reasons. However, it also means that road construction projects will be ramping up once again throughout Minnesota.

Recently, the Minnesota Department of Transportation announced it had approved nearly 180 road and bridge projects for the 2025 season, plus an additional 51 projects designed to improve airports, water ports, railroad crossings, and transit infrastructure.

One major project, involving repairing bridges along I-94 in Minneapolis, including the Mississippi River bridge, began earlier this month.

This week, MnDOT announced that road construction is set to begin in the Duluth area, and it will impact travel in the area through most of the summer. This work starts the second phase of a two-year project involving concrete pavement repairs and bridge work in the Duluth section of I-35.

MnDOT Announces Significant I-35 Bridge Repair Work In Duluth

According to MnDOT, crews will be starting bridge repair work on I-35 in Duluth on Tuesday, April 15.

This construction project will resurface the bridge deck and replace joints on I-35 between Mesaba Avenue and 5th Avenue West and work on the I-35 northbound off-ramp to 5th Avenue West and the southbound on-ramp from 5th Avenue West.

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Motorists will see single lane closures beginning Tuesday, April 15, and traffic will be shifted to a head-to-head pattern on the southbound lanes on Wednesday, April 16.

The following ramps will close as a part of this project:

• I-35 northbound off-ramp to 5th Avenue West
• I-35 northbound on-ramp from 5th Avenue West
• I-35 southbound on-ramp from 5th Avenue West
• I-35 southbound on-ramp from Lake Avenue

There will be detour signs in place for each closure. On the plus side, MnDOT says that access to Hwy 194/Mesaba Avenue from I-35 northbound and access to I-35 southbound from Hwy 194/Mesaba Avenue will be maintained.

I-35 Lane Closures Will Also Be In Place During This Project

Additionally, northbound I-35 will be closed from northbound I-535/Blatnik Bridge. There will be a detour posted taking traffic to I-35 southbound to 27th Avenue West to I-35 northbound. Access from northbound I-535/Blatnik Bridge to Hwy 194/Mesaba Ave will be open.

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Head-to-head traffic will be in place through mid-August, with traffic being switched from the southbound lanes to the northbound lanes in June.

MnDOT urges all motorists to prepare for this and all road construction projects. They also offered the following work zone safety tips:

• Slow down when approaching every work zone, then navigate through with care and caution.
• Stay alert; work zones constantly change.
• Watch for workers and slow-moving equipment.
• Obey posted speed limits. The fine for a violation in a work zone is $300.
• Minimize distractions behind the wheel.
• Be patient; expect delays, especially during peak travel times

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