Construction season: I-494 closing in Richfield, Bloomington this weekend

Road construction season in Minnesota well underway

Minnesota's road construction season is well underway. Interstate 494 will be closed in both directions this weekend from I-35W to Highway 77. The Nicollet Avenue bridge in south Minneapolis closes Monday for 18 months. FOX 9's Lauren Andrego has the details

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Construction season has started in Minnesota, and a major interstate in the Twin Cities will be closed this weekend.

I-494 closed in Richfield, Bloomington

What we know:

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is closing both directions of Interstate 494 from I-35W to Highway 77, a stretch from Richfield to Bloomington, from 10 p.m. Friday, March 6 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 9.

The posted detour is using Highway 62. Construction crews will begin removing the 12th Avenue Bridge over I-494. This spring and summer, crews will reconstruct the bridge as well as the Nicollet Avenue bridge, which was removed in February.

Other closures

Timeline:

12th Avenue between East 77th Street and American Boulevard will close at 7 a.m. Thursday, March 5, and reopen in September. Drivers should use Portland or Lyndale Avenues to cross I-494.

The ramp from eastbound I-494 to southbound I-35W is closed from 8 p.m. Friday, March 13 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 14.