Weekend traffic: Freeways to close, Metro Transit's C Line rapid bus opens

Metro Transit enacts a host of route and schedule changes, including the elimination of several trips with low ridership, on Saturday, the same day the agency opens the new C Line rapid bus route between Minneapolis and the Brooklyn Center Transit Center.

Buses will fill in for Blue Line light-rail trains between the 28th Avenue and Mall of America stations as a maintenance project continues.

Motorists will face disruptions in the form of weekend closures on westbound Interstate 94 in St. Paul from Interstate 35E to Hwy. 280 as MnDOT resurfaces the freeway. Eastbound Hwy. 36 through North St. Paul and Hwy. 55 between Maple Lake and Annandale will also be shut down, plus there's a spate of other construction projects across the metro area.

Traffic-generating events include the Summer Beer Festival on Saturday at the State Fairgrounds, a Luis Miguel concert Saturday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul and a Lynx game Saturday afternoon at Target Center.

Here is where drivers will find lane and road closures:

1. Interstate 35W: Reduced to two southbound lanes from downtown to 43rd Street and two northbound lanes plus a MnPass lane up to 31st Street, then a third general traffic lane to 3rd Street. All southbound lanes and one northbound lane between I-94 and Hwy. 62 closed from 10 p.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday.

2. I-94: Westbound closed from I-35W to I-394 from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Saturday. Eastbound lane closures near the Portland Tunnel from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday.

3. Hennepin Avenue and 8th Street: Hennepin is a single lane in each direction from 7th to 12th streets; 8th Street closed from Hennepin Avenue to 2nd Avenue S.

4. I-94: Westbound closed from I-35E to Hwy. 280 from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.

5. I-94/694/494 in Woodbury: Ramps from westbound I-94 to southbound I-494 and southbound I-694 to eastbound I-94 closed.

6. Hwy. 120/Century Avenue in North St. Paul: Closed from Holloway Avenue to County Road B until June 28.

7. Hwy. 36 in North St. Paul: Eastbound lanes closed from Hwy. 120 to I-694 from 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.

8. I-35W from Roseville to Lino Lakes: Lane reductions in both directions from Hwy. 10 in Mounds View to County Road E2 in Arden Hills. Additional periodic lane closures between Hwy. 36 in Roseville and Sunset Avenue in Lino Lakes. Ramp from southbound I-35W to County Road I closed Friday through November.

9. I-35W and I-35 in Columbus and Forest Lake: Northbound I-35W reduced to a single lane approaching the I-35W/I-35E split until fall. Lane closures in both directions from the split to Hwy. 8.

10. Hwy. 10 in Mounds View: Eastbound reduced to a single lane from I-35W to County Road 96.

11. Brooklyn Boulevard in Brooklyn Center: Single lane in both directions from 49th Avenue to Hwy. 100.

12. France Avenue in Edina: Bridge over Hwy. 62 closed through mid-July.

13. I-35W in Bloomington and Burnsville: Lane restrictions in both directions between 106th Street and Cliff Road.

14. Hwy. 3 in Inver Grove Heights: Closed between 60th Street and County Road 26 until Nov. 1.

15. Hwy. 13 in Prior Lake: Closed in both directions between Vergus Avenue and Marschall Road until June 21.

16. Rockford Road in Ply­mouth: Ramps from Rockford Road to northbound I-494 and southbound I-494 to Rockford Road closed.

17. Flying Cloud Drive in Eden Prairie: Closed in both directions between Hwy. 101 and Spring Road.