Construction Updates
Dear neighbors,
Construction is the 5th season here in Minnesota and this year Bryn Mawr is the focus of many improvement projects. Bryn Mawr is OPEN for business. See below for the latest from the City of Minneapolis and MNDOT. See the project websites for more information. Plan ahead! You can see a list of all our wonderful business here.
Overnight and weekend road and trail closures near I-94 and I-394 start Fri, Aug. 21
Beginning at 10 p.m. Fri, Aug. 21, West Lyndale Ave. between Glenwood Ave. and Dunwoody Blvd. will be closed through 5 a.m. Mon, Aug. 24. During the closure, drivers and pedestrians will be detoured to Glenwood Ave., Van White Memorial Blvd., and Dunwoody Blvd.
This road closure is needed for ongoing construction work.
Overnight Van White Memorial Blvd./Dunwoody Blvd. closure Aug. 24
Beginning at 8 p.m. Mon, Aug. 24, Van White Memorial Blvd./Dunwoody Blvd. will be closed under I-394 until 5 a.m. Tues, Aug. 25. During the closure, drivers will be detoured to Hennepin Ave., Lyndale Ave., Glenwood Ave. and Van White Memorial Blvd. Bicyclists and pedestrians will be detoured to Emerson Ave., Kenwood Pkwy. and Cedar Lake Pkwy.
This closure is necessary to complete I-394 bridge repairs.
Overnight eastbound I-394 closures start Aug. 26
Eastbound I-394 between Hwy 100 and downtown Minneapolis will be closed nightly starting 10 p.m. Wed, Aug. 26 through 5 a.m. Fri, Aug. 28, 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly. Traffic will be detoured to Hwy 169 and I-94 during the overnight closures.
Trail closure continues through mid-September
Crews plan to replace the pedestrian trail between Cedar Lake Pkwy. and Emerson Ave. During the closure, bicyclists and pedestrians will be detoured to Emerson Ave., Kenwood Pkwy. and Cedar Lake Pkwy. The trail is expected to remain closed through mid-September.
I-94 Bridge Repairs
Construction on I-394 and I-94 is scheduled to be completed in November as crews repair and restore more than 30 bridges. The best way to stay informed on traffic impacts is to sign up for MnDOT project email updates on the project website.
Key traffic changes starting July 8 through November
Main westbound I-394 lanes will reopen between downtown Minneapolis and Hwy 100 — this means more lanes for westbound I-394 traffic from downtown Minneapolis, plus a return-to-normal entry to westbound I-394 from westbound I-94.
Eastbound I-394 traffic will be shifted into the E-ZPass (HOV) lanes on I-394 between Hwy 100 and downtown Minneapolis — this means only two lanes of traffic eastbound and no E-ZPass option (no tolls, no carpool or transit lane).The main westbound I-394 lanes are open and eastbound I-394 have shifted into the center E-Z Pass lanes. This configuration will remain through November.
The Penn Avenue bridge over I-394 will remain closed as crews complete work to ensure it is ADA-compliant. As a result of this continued closure and the new lane closures on eastbound I-394, the eastbound I-394 ramps to and from Penn Avenue will close from Wednesday, July 8, through November. To safely accommodate the new traffic configuration and maintain traffic flow through the work zone, the westbound I-394 ramps to and from Penn Avenue will also remain closed through November.
We understand these closures will increase travel times to and from the Bryn Mawr neighborhood for those using I-394, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as crews complete work on the Penn Avenue bridge and ramps. For more information see the project webpage.
Q. Why the change in plans to not open the westbound ramps?
A. The project team has determined that keeping the WB I-394 to/from Penn Avenue ramps closed is the safest option during this stage of construction, due to the unique challenges posed by the configuration of that intersection.
With the bridge remaining closed through November for work, in keeping Penn Avenue closed from the bridge to Mount View Avenue, we want to avoid the possibility of traffic heading south on Penn Avenue and attempting to take a U-turn at the bridge, where the intersection does not allow drivers to do so safely.
The project team is also looking to prevent traffic back-ups at the westbound I-394 to Penn Avenue exit ramp that could arise from confused drivers and dangerous U-turn maneuvers. Construction crews will also periodically be using this space as work continues on and around the bridge.
Lastly, to encourage motorists to drive at safe speeds, MnDOT has placed speed calming signs (electronic boards that alert drivers to their speed) at a few locations in the Bryn Mawr area, on Cedar Lake Rd. between Upton Ave. and Penn Ave. and on Glenwood Ave. between Xerxes Ave. and Lyndale Ave.
Given patterns of poor driver behavior in the area during construction, the project team decided that it is not safe to open the northbound lane of Penn Avenue for off-ramp traffic while keeping the southbound lane closed. Keeping both lanes closed will prevent drivers from accidentally driving the wrong way down a temporary one way and potentially causing back-ups and accidents.
We understand that keeping these ramps closed bring upon challenges with access to/from the neighborhood and we sincerely appreciate your patience as we work to complete the project.
Q. Any chance the westbound ramps will open sooner than November?
A. Our goal is to reopen the ramps as soon as it is safe to do so. Our work is currently scheduled to be completed in late November. If work is completed ahead of schedule, the ramps may reopen earlier than expected.