Photo compliments of Randy Monnens and Savage Pacer.
I-35W lane closures over Minnesota River begin Thursday- By Deena Winter Savage Pacer Oct 17, 2018
Rust-colored piles east of the northbound lane on the I-35W Minnesota River Bridge are a clear sign work is well underway in rebuilding the mammoth bridge between Burnsville and Bloomington.
"They're building a new bridge next to it," said Minnesota Department of Transportation spokeswoman Kirsten Klein.
Workers are building new northbound lanes on the east side of the bridge and then will move all traffic to that side to build new southbound lanes, she said.
Motorists traveling southbound on Interstate 35W between 106th Street in Bloomington and Cliff Road in Burnsville should be ready for alternating lane closures beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, as the state begins a long-term lane closure.
Klein said the good news is three lanes will be maintained in both directions during peak travel times (daytime). That means one of the four southbound lanes will be lost between 106th and Cliff Road through the summer of 2021. The Mn-PASS express lanes will remain open.
If you use the 106th Street ramp to southbound I-35W, get ready for that to close Thursday through the summer of 2021. Motorists should follow the signed detour using northbound I-35W and 98th Street to access southbound I-35W. The Highway 13 ramp won't be affected, she said.
These lane and ramp closures are part of a $127 million, multiyear project to replace the I-35W Minnesota River Bridge. Klein said the bridge was nearing the end of its lifespan and "can't go any wider."
The work began Aug. 20 and will last until November 2021. The resulting bridge will be wider, with a new trail and truck lane. The new bridge and pavement will lift I-35W out of the floodplain and improve pedestrian access across the river and improve safety, enhance mobility, smooth out the road surface and upgrade drainage, according to MnDOT.
The work includes:
Reconstructing the I-35W Bridge spanning the Minnesota River and 106th Street.
Replacing pavement from Cliff Road to 106th Street.
Constructing a pedestrian and bike trail along the east side of I-35W between Black Dog Road and Lyndale Avenue.
Extending the truck climbing lane on northbound I-35W from West 106th Street to Cliff Road.
Improving signing, lighting and drainage.
MnDOT is partnering with Dakota County, Hennepin County and the cities of Bloomington and Burnsville on the project. For more information about this project or to sign up for email updates, go to mndot.gov/metro/projects/i35wbloomington.
