I-35 Mega Project to Resume Construction Tuesday, April 10th

The birds chirping, the grass greening, the rivers flowing, the traffic slowing.  Flowers blooming, children playing, orange cones redirecting.  Yes, another season of road construction is upon us.  According to MNDOT, the I-35 Mega Project is set to resume construction on Tuesday, April 10th.

All remaining work is expected to be completed on or before June 29, 2012. Yes, that would be AFTER Grandma's Marathon weekend.

If things had gone according to plan, the project was scheduled for completion last fall, but scheduling problems resulting from the 2011 state government shutdown pushed the remaining work into 2012.

So what does that mean for those who regularly use I-35? Well according to MNDOT, here are the details:

• From April 10 to April 13, northbound I-35 traffic will be reduced to a single lane daily from 9 a.m. to as late as 7 p.m.
• Work zone speed limits will be in place during lane closures. Traffic backups may occur and motorists are asked to drive carefully through the work zone.
• Additional lane restrictions will be in place on both the northbound and southbound lanes beginning Monday, April 16. These lane restrictions will be in place 24-hours-per-day for about three weeks. Exact locations within the project area will be identified with signing.
• Remaining work on the project includes: installation of median barrier and signs, fiber optic installation, bridge painting and deck repair on the ramp from northbound I-535 to northbound I-35.

For updated information on road conditions, call 511 or click on www.511mn.org.

Info from the Minnesota Deptartment of Transportation Press Release.