The shutdown of Interstate 35W south of downtown Minneapolis on an ultra-busy sports weekend angered everyone from John Q. Motorist to Gov. Mark Dayton.
Despite protestations, Minnesota traffic czars remained firm, declining to change or delay the closure of I-35W between downtown Minneapolis and Crosstown Hwy. 62.
So how was traffic Sunday, when big-draw events included the Twin Cities Marathon, a Vikings game at U.S. Bank Stadium and a home game for the Twins?
Morning traffic was slow and occasionally at a standstill on alternate routes heading north toward Minneapolis. One motorist said that about 10:45 a.m. the backup on the right side of Hwy. 100 northbound stretched 3 to 4 miles south of Interstate 394 where it heads toward downtown. Another reported northbound Penn also was very congested south of Minnetonka Boulevard and I-394.
One Twitter commenter noted sarcastically, "Evidently, Hiawatha is the new 35W. Thanks MnDOT."
Park Avenue, a northbound one-way through south Minneapolis, was crowded but moving along at a decent pace, said one driver.
The Vikings game began at noon and a rain-delayed Twins game at 2:50 p.m. Between those hours, MnDOT and State Patrol maps showed traffic moving normally on major freeways.
After the Vikings' 14-7 loss to the Detroit Lions, drivers heading south were forced back on alternate routes, including Hiawatha, west I-394 or south Hwy. 100.
