Lowry Tunnel to reopen Aug. 31, ten days ahead of schedule

Both directions of the Lowry Tunnel are scheduled to reopen the morning of Thursday, Aug. 31 with three lanes going in each direction. The reopening of the tunnel is great news for Minneapolis commuters who have been dealing with lane restrictions and tunnel closures since June 24.

The reopening of the tunnel in its traditional configuration comes 10 days ahead of schedule. But before the tunnel is fully reopened, MnDOT must make some other closures, including:

From 10 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29 to 5 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30 both directions of the tunnel will close. When it reopens, three lanes will travel through the eastbound tunnel and two through west bound.

From 10 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30 to 5 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, I-94 west will be closed. When it reopens, all tunnel lanes and ramps will be open.

Tunnel incident caught on camera

On the morning of July 28, a semi clipped 47 lights that dotted the inside wall of the tunnel, shattering the bulbs as it cruised through. Trucks weighing more than 9,000 pounds are banned from the Lowry Tunnel during construction. WATCH VIDEO

Ramps will reopen

The following ramps, which have been closed since June 23, will open by 5 a.m. Thursday: I-35W north to I-94 west, Highway 55 to I-94 east, and Fourth Avenue to I-94 east.

I-394 East to I-94 east will reopen early Monday as planned. It will take traffic through the Lowry Tunnel and will remain open during the full closure of I-94 East Tuesday into Wednesday.

Westbound I-94 will close from 10 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday while crews work inside the tunnel.

A few final closures

Once the tunnel fully reopens, additional lane closures will be needed in the tunnel through September to complete some work.