UPDATED MnDOT: NB I-35E Closes This Weekend in Mendota Heights, Lilydale

UPDATE: Northbound Interstate 35E will be reduced to a single lane between Interstate 494 and Highway 5/West Seventh Street at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, then closes entirely at 10 p.m.

The far right lane of Interstate 35E (auxiliary lane) will remain open between Highway 13 and Sheppard Road only.

Drivers can expect the northbound lane of Interstate 35E between Interstate 494 and Highway 5/West Seventh Street to close 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16 and reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The ramp from Highway 13 to southbound Interstate 35E will also be closed through 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 19.

Northbound Interstate 35E will be reduced to a single lane between Highway 13 and Highway 5/West Seventh Street at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16.

The official detour will send drivers east on Interstate 494 to northbound Highway 61, westbound Interstate 94 and back to the Capitol Interchange. Motorists can reach St. Paul, both directions of Interstate 35E and Interstate 94 from the Capitol Interchange.

The closures are needed as crews repair and resurface the roadway and make other improvements. When complete, the project will result in a smoother ride, extended pavement life, improved drainage and improved pedestrian crossings that meet accessibility standards, according to MnDOT.

The project is scheduled for completion by November.

Upcoming closures due to the I-35E project:

• Southbound Interstate 35E will be reduced to a single lane between Highway 5/West Seventh Street and Highway 13 from 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20. The road will reopen to accommodate the evening rush hour, and close again from 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20 to 3 p.m. Wed., Sept. 21. The extended lane closures are needed to allow the new concrete adequate time to cure before it can carry traffic.

• Southbound Interstate 35E is scheduled to close between Highway 13 and Interstate 494 from 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23 through 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 26. Details outlining the detour will be made available by Wednesday, Sept. 21.

• Southbound Interstate 35E is also scheduled to close between Interstate 494 and Lone Oak Road from 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3. Details outlining the detour will be made available by Wednesday, Sept. 28.

For more information or to sign up for the project’s email updates, visit the project’s website at www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/i35eeagan/index.html.