A major road construction project is expected to snarl traffic in the heart of the Twin Cities this weekend.
The bridge maintenance and repair work is taking place on Interstate 94 from Saint Paul across the Mississippi River to Minneapolis, squeezing all traffic into two lanes in each direction.
It's going to be more difficult this weekend, with all eastbound lanes of 94 shut down between 35-W and Franklin.
"You have to work on your house every year," says MnDOT's Kent Barnard. "You have to work on your vehicle. You got to change oil, for example. It's the same type of thing. We can't let these roads fall apart, and if we let them fall apart, we're going to have worse problems than that."
Westbound lanes remain open. This phase of the project ends Monday morning.
The following I-94 entrance ramps will be closed starting at 9 p.m. on Friday, April 4:
*The ramp from northbound I-35W to eastbound I-94 will be closed until 5 a.m. on Monday, April 7.
*Bypass the closure using northbound I-35W, eastbound Highway 36, southbound I-35E and eastbound I-94.
*The ramp from South 6th Street to eastbound I-94 will be closed until late April.
*Bypass the closure using northbound 11th Avenue South, eastbound Washington Avenue South, southbound Cedar Avenue and eastbound I-94.
*The ramp from Huron Boulevard to eastbound I-94 will be closed through June.
*Bypass the closure using eastbound University Avenue Southeast, southbound North Eustis Street, eastbound Franklin Avenue and eastbound I-94.
*The ramp from Huron Boulevard to westbound I-94 will be closed through June.
* Bypass the closure using Westbound University Avenue Southeast, northbound Southeast Oak Street, westbound Southeast 4th Street, southbound I-35W and westbound I-94.
At 10 p.m. the same night, eastbound I-94 will be fully closed, and westbound I-94 will be reduced to three lanes between 11th Avenue South and Franklin Avenue Southeast.
Then at 6 a.m. on Sunday, April 6, westbound I-94 will be further reduced to two lanes to allow crews to repaint the pavement markings.
Finally, at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 6, westbound I-94 will be reduced to a single lane to shift traffic, and the following ramps will be closed:
* Westbound I-94 to South 7th Street will be closed until Saturday, May 17.
* Bypass the closure using westbound I-94, northbound Cedar Avenue, westbound Washington Avenue South, southbound 11th Avenue South and South 7th Street.
* Westbound I-94 to Riverside Avenue will be closed through June.
* Bypass the closure using westbound I-94, northbound Cedar Avenue and Riverside Avenue.
* Riverside Avenue/Butler Place South to westbound I-94 will be closed through June.
* Bypass the closure using southbound 25th Avenue South, westbound East Franklin Avenue, southbound Cedar Avenue, northbound Highway 55 and westbound I-94.