Light Rail Construction Closes Washington Ave. Bridge

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – If you plan on commuting around Minneapolis this weekend, you'll want to avoid the Washington Avenue bridge over the Mississippi River.

The bridge will close at 10 p.m. Friday to vehicle traffic because of light rail construction in the area. The closure will last throughout the weekend.

Officials said the bridge is expected to be reopened by 5 a.m. Monday, in time for the morning commute. A detour with signs will be up during the closure, and pedestrians and bicycles will still be able to access the upper deck of the bridge throughout the weekend.

Over the past few months all traffic has been using the north side lanes of the bridge while construction crews worked on the south side lanes. This weekend, crews will move to the north side of the bridge and switch traffic to the south side.