Part of I-494 in Inver Grove Heights closing this weekend
The Brief
I-494 will close between Blaine Avenue and Babcock Trail in Inver Grove Heights from late Friday night to early Monday morning.
Drivers are being rerouted during this closure.
Crews will be doing demolition work on the southbound Highway 52 bridge and ramps.
INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. (FOX 9) - A stretch of Interstate 494 (I-494) in Inver Grove Heights is set to close from 10 p.m. on Friday, May 16 until 5 a.m. on Monday, May 19.
The closure was initially scheduled for May 8-12 before the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) postponed it.
Big picture view
MnDOT plans to close I-494 in both directions between Blaine Avenue and Babcock Trail in Inver Grove Heights. This includes all Highway 52 ramps to I-494 for demolition work on the southbound Highway 52 bridge and ramps. MnDOT officials say crews are using the closure to start redecking the bridges and paving ramps on Highway 52 over I-494.
Here is where drivers can expect to be detoured.
Westbound drivers on I-494 are told to use northbound Highway 52 to Mendota Road to southbound Highway 52 to westbound I-494 as a detour.
Eastbound drivers on I-494 may use southbound Highway 52 to eastbound 70th Street to northbound Highway 52 to get back to eastbound I-494.
Ramps from westbound I-494 to southbound Highway 52, as well as southbound Highway 52 to eastbound I-494 are closed and are set to reopen after 6 p.m. on Monday, July 21.
All I-494 lanes, and two ramps, are set to reopen at 5 a.m. on Monday.
What's next
MnDOT adds that after May 19, traffic will be "head-to-head" on the northbound Highway 52 bridge between Upper 55th Street and Mendota Road/Southview Boulevard.
The westbound I-494 to southbound Highway 52 and southbound Highway 52 to eastbound I-494 ramps will remain closed through July 22.
Dig deeper
State officials say the work is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021 that directs billions of dollars to Minnesota for public improvements, all of which is expected to finish by November 2025.
READ MORE: $1 trillion infrastructure bill passes: Here's what Minnesota stands to get
More information can be found on the project website.
The Source
This story used information shared by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
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