Twin Cities drivers should beware of numerous traffic disruptions and road closures this weekend related to the Twin Cities Marathon and 10-mile race on Sunday.
Twin Cities Marathon will close St. Paul and Minneapolis roads this weekend
October 3, 2014 at 12:19AM
![A sea of runners descended a hill in the Kenwood neighborhood. ] (JIM GEHRZ/STAR TRIBUNE) / October 6, 2013, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN – BACKGROUND INFO- About 12,000 runners were expected to participate in the annual Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. The 26.2 mile course began in downtown Minneapolis and ended at the state capitol in St. Paul. Several hundred thousand spectators were expected to witness the event and to cheer runners on along the course as well. ORG XMIT: MIN131](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/47EAMRC42Q6EWE3M76ESXPXURE.jpg?&w=712)
The closures already have started in St. Paul. John Ireland Boulevard by the State Capitol between 12th Street and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard closed Thursday. An additional stretch of MLK Boulevard will close Friday.
Twelfth Street from Wabasha to John Ireland Boulevard will close from 7 a.m. to noon Saturday and again from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
In Minneapolis on Sunday, the area around the starting line near the new stadium construction site, formerly the Metrodome, will be congested and much of it will be closed. From 5th to 11th Avenues S. and from 6th to 3rd Streets S. will close at 5 a.m. and reopen at approximately 9 a.m.
Traffic won't be allowed to turn onto the course after 7:30 a.m. Traffic may cross the course until the wheelchair athletes begin to approach.
In St. Paul, traffic turning onto the course will be shut down at 6:50 a.m. Traffic will be intermittently allowed to cross the course between 8:30 and 9 a.m. and stopped again at 9 a.m. Cross traffic will restart about 2 p.m.
The 10-mile race starts at 7 a.m. Wheelchair racers begin at 7:55 a.m. and the marathon starts at 8 a.m.
The marathon website offers additional instructions on navigating the cities during the event as well as suggestions for spectators. Go to www.tcmevents.org
Rochelle Olson
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