Pothole Repair Reducing Lanes of Traffic on I-494 this Week

Eastbound and westbound traffic on I-494 will be down to a single lane from 10 p.m. Tuesday through 6 a.m. Wednesday. Eastbound traffic will again be reduced Wednesday evening starting at 10 p.m.

Pothole repair and resurfacing work on I-494 will significantly slow both eastbound and westbound traffic this week, between I-35W and France Avenue.  Eastbound I-494 will be down to a single lane from 10 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, to 6 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27. It will be reduced to a single lane again from 10 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, through 6 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 28. Westbound traffic on the same stretch of I-494 will be down to a single lane from 10 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, through 6 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27. In addition, ramps to I-494 from France Avenue and Penn Avenue will be closed to traffic while crews continue repairing potholes. Those ramps will open again once potholes are patched.

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Planned I-494 Construction Delayed by Winter Weather

Cold temperatures and snowfall pushed back planned construction on the Xerxes Avenue Bridge.

Frigid temperatures and anticipated snowfall this weekend have delayed planned work on the Xerxes Avenue Bridge between Feb. 1-4, according to MnDOT officials. Due to the inclement weather, scheduled lane closures on the busy roadway have been pushed back to Feb. 11. Additional information on the project will be provided by MnDOT when a new schedule is finalized. Eastbound I-494 between France Avenue and Penn Avenue was scheduled to be reduced to a single lane from 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, through 7 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, and again from 11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, through 8 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 3. The westbound lanes of the same stitch of I-494 were scheduled to be reduced to a single lane from 9 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3, through 5 a.m. Monday, Feb. …

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Overnight I-494 Lane Closures Begin Monday

The three-night project will close east and westbound interstate lanes at Xerxes Avenue.

Motorists will likely experience some delays on I-494 early next week as lanes in both directions close at Xerxes Avenue. The closures are two-fold with left lanes in both directions closing at 7 p.m. Nov. 12-14 and all lanes but one closing at 11 p.m. those nights. All lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. the following day. The closures are necessary for crews to begin pile driving for foundations on the new Xerxes Avenue bridge. In addition, noise and vibration are associated with pile driving, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and its contractor, will attempt to minimize both. The work is part of the I-494 Improvement Project and may be rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. For information, visit the project website at dot…

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I-35W, Penn Ramps to Reopen While France Avenue Closes

The ramp closure switch will begin sometime late Friday or early Saturday morning.

As part of the Interstate 494 improvement project, new closures and openings are beginning Friday, Sept. 28 and ending early Sunday, Sept. 30. The ramps from southbound I-35W to westbound I-494 and westbound I-494 ramps to and from Penn Avenue will reopen late Friday or early Saturday morning. In addition, the ramp from southbound France Avenue to westbound I-494 will close Sunday night. Exact times of openings and closings have not been given by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. MnDOT said drivers should expect delays throughout Richfield, Bloomington and Edina when the change happens. The France Avenue closure is expected to last until late November. Other current ramp closures that will be in effect until late fall include:

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Editor's Notebook

MnDOT to Soon Decide Fate of Crosstown Staging Areas

West Area Manager John Griffith speaks about the department's approach

Last week, Sheila Regan covered the completion of Crosstown construction and addressed the development options for a number of lots used by the Minnesota Department of Transportation to stage the project. I spoke with MnDOT West Area Manager John Griffith Monday about some of the issues that we didn't have space for in Regan's piece.  Cost: Griffith couldn't estimate the value of the land. Southwest Minneapolis Patch is in the process of filing a Data Practice Act request to get this information. When: MnDOT will probably make decisions about the leftover parcels in early 2011. Landscaping will play a major role in how soon the property is released by the agency, and MnDOT is now looking at landscaping options. The department doesn't want …

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After Crosstown Construction: What Comes Next?

MnDOT is planning to vacate construction launch sites on south Lyndale Avenue. City plans for residential and business development will determine the land's future.

As the Crosstown construction project winds down, most residents and businesses are breathing a sigh of relief. But there is also uncertainty about what will happen to nearby lots used by the Minnesota Department of Transit (MnDOT) to stage the lengthy construction project. Under state law, the area may fall to the city or county through what's called a "turnback," although city plans for possible development approved in 2006 might complicate that process.  John Griffith, West Area Manager from MnDOT, said the land MnDOT used to launch the lengthy construction project will most likely be given back to Minneapolis if the city dedicates the land to a public use. "We don't really have any need for those properties," he said. "We don't do a …

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