Portions of Hwy. 36, I-94 in east metro to be closed this weekend

Road construction is inconvenient for drivers, but if there ever were a weekend to close portions of two major highways, this is it.

MnDOT will close westbound I-94 between I-35E and Hwy. 280 in St. Paul from 10 p.m. Friday to early Monday morning, while the agency will shut down eastbound Hwy. 36 between I-35W in Roseville and I-35E in Little Canada from 9 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday.

With the State Fair behind us and Minnesota’s professional sports teams either away or idle this weekend, the calendar doesn’t feature a lot of traffic-generating events. That might ease the pain, but thousands in the east metro will still feel the squeeze.

Crews will continue with a repaving project on Hwy. 36 while sending drivers north on I-35W, then east on I-694 and south I-35E.

Drivers who normally use westbound I-94 will be sent north on I-35E, then west on Hwy. 36 and south on Hwy. 280. Over the weekend, MnDOT will be inspecting and repairing bridges, cleaning and repairing storm sewer structures, replacing lighting and removing graffiti from walls and bridges.