Four-day shutdown of light-rail trains in downtown Minneapolis starts Wednesday night

Metro Transit has some maintenance to do on the Blue and Green light-rail lines in downtown Minneapolis, and to get it done the agency will shut down service from Wednesday night through Monday morning.

Buses will shuttle passengers while the work is being done along tracks between Target Field Station and Franklin Avenue Station on the Blue Line and Target Field Station and Stadium Village at the University of Minnesota on the Green Line.

Trains on both lines will not run from 10 p.m. Wednesday through 3 a.m. Monday. Buses will run on a similar schedule as trains. A map showing where to catch replacement buses is available at metrotransit.org/closure.

“Replacement bus timing can vary and trips may take longer because of needed routing and traffic conditions,” the agency said in a statement. “Please plan extra time for your trip.”

Crews will replace rail and cables along the corridor and prepare for future light-rail expansion.

Affected stations on the Blue Line include Target Field, Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue, Nicollet Mall, Government Plaza, U.S. Bank Stadium, Cedar-Riverside and northbound Franklin Avenue.

Affected stations on the Green Line include Target Field, Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue, Nicollet Mall, Government Center Plaza, U.S. Bank Stadium, East Bank, West Bank and westbound Stadium Village.