Motorists driving into the heart of St. Paul will notice immediate changes on I-94 and I-35E starting on Monday as the Minnesota Department of Transportation begins the second and final year of its I-94 and I-35E construction project.
Lane closures are expected to being Monday evening as MnDOT crews reduce westbound lanes on I-94 between I-35E and Marion Street. Ramps off of 12th Street, which runs north of I-94, to southbound I-35E and to westbound I-94 also will close until mid-May.
"There will be reduced capacity on each direction of I-94 in St. Paul, basically between Marion Street and I-35E for the first part of the summer," said MnDOT spokesperson Kent Barnard. "At the end of the summer, it'll be between Marion Street and Mounds Boulevard. There will also be a short stretch of I-35E where there will be lane restrictions."
Ramps in and out of downtown St. Paul will also see closures. The following ramp closures are scheduled to begin on Wednesday:
- Westbound I-94 to Marion Street
- Southbound I-35E to westbound I-94 (traffic will stay on I-35E until the commons area and then merge to westbound I-94)
- Washington Street to westbound I-94/southbound I-35E
- Westbound I-94 to 12th Street (Hospital traffic will follow a signed detour to Dale Street)
Two public meetings in March to detail the project. MnDOT metro district project manager Kim Zlimen told attendees that while there will be some headaches throughout the summer, the $27 million project is needed to focus on resurfacing, safety, and drainage.
"Before Covid, the average annual daily traffic was over 200,000 vehicles per day in parts of this project area," Zlimen said. "That high traffic volume has caused the pavement to deteriorate faster."
According to MnDOT, concrete pavement along the stretch of I-94 and I-35E in St. Paul was installed in the 1990s and received minor repairs in 2006.
Stage one of the project, completed in 2021, focused on I-94 from Western Avenue to Marion Street. With traffic rapidly returning to St. Paul, Zlimen says disruptions will likely be more prevalent in 2022.
"Both because there are going to be more ramp closures, and we anticipate more people will be commuting to and from work than they were last year," added Zlimen.
Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead as they hit the road in the spring and summer months.