Lowry Tunnel Closures Begin This Weekend As Part Of I-94 Construction

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – More bad news for drivers in Minneapolis this weekend.

As construction on Interstate 94 from Minneapolis to Brooklyn Center continues, more lane closures are happening near downtown.

Starting Friday, and lasting through September, the Lowry tunnel will be experiencing a number of closures.

Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, the eastbound tunnel will be closed. A stretch of I-94 from Interstate 394 and Interstate 35W will be shut down. Crews believe they can have the eastbound tunnel reconfigured and open by noon Sunday.

During this time, the ramps from eastbound I-94 to Highway 55 and will also be closed.

Then, from Monday through early August, the westbound lanes of I-94 through the tunnel will be closed. During this time, all I-94 traffic will travel on the eastbound side of the tunnel. Two lanes will be devoted for traffic in each direction.

On Friday at 10 p.m., the ramps 4th Street South to westbound I-94 and Hwy. 55 entrance onto eastbound I-94 will close. Those ramps will reopen when both directions of traffic is moving through the tunnel again on Sunday afternoon.

Very early Saturday morning, the I-35W ramp to westbound I-94 will close. The westbound I-94 to west I-394 and Highway 55 to Eastbound 94 will close Saturday night.

Both sides of the tunnel will re-open briefly from early to mid-August.

Finally, from mid-August through mid-September, the eastbound lanes of Lowry tunnel will be closed. All traffic will travel on the westbound side of the tunnel, with two lanes devoted to each direction.

Ramp closures will once again include northbound I-35W to westbound I-94, and 4th Street South to westbound I-94. Additionally, the Hwy. 55 entrance onto westbound I-94, eastbound I-94 to eastbound I-394 and eastbound I-94 to southbound I-35W will be closed.

For more information on closures, or the I-94 construction project, visit MnDOT online.