Skyways in Minneapolis, Duluth are cutting hours or closing altogether

With most shops closed and workers ordered to stay home, downtown Minneapolis and Duluth are limiting the hours their skyways are open or closing them altogether.

Minneapolis' skyways are owned by each building, and as a result have different hours of operation. A skyway management company, Urban Works, has compiled an updated list of the skyway access for each building.

Many buildings are temporarily closing their skyways, including the Minneapolis Convention Center, Wells Fargo Center, Target Center and hotels such as the Westin, Hyatt Regency and Embassy Suites.

Others have scaled back their hours. The Dayton's Project skyways are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed on weekends; LaSalle Plaza's will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily; and the Hilton Hotel's skyways will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and closed on weekends. Access to the skyways by Gaviidae Commons is also limited.

Some buildings will keep their skyways open their regular hours. This includes the Baker Center, Capella Tower, Hennepin County Government Center, U.S. Bank Plaza and the U.S. Courthouse.

The city of St. Paul, which owns the skyways downtown, has not closed them or limited access, said Suzanne Donovan with the city's Department of Safety and Inspections. Their hours of operation remain 6 a.m. to midnight.

Duluth is shutting down its 3.5-mile downtown skywalk until April 13 to comply with Gov. Tim Walz's stay-at-home order.

"The Greater Downtown Council supports the decision to temporarily close the skywalk so that our properties remain secure while much of our workforce is staying home," the group's president, Kristi Stokes, said in a statement. "We have worked with property owners to ensure essential workers will still have access to their offices and operations."

The bridge over Interstate 35 that connects the downtown transit center to the DECC will remain open on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.