Twin Cities Campus Construction Updates

Beginning Tuesday, May 22, the left lane of Fourth Street SE will close between 17th and 19th Avenue as crews perform utility work related to the new 4th Street Housing and Dining Facility. The lane will remain closed until mid-August, but is scheduled to reopen before the start of Fall Semester. The southern sidewalk will also be closed and pedestrians will be asked to use the north sidewalk during the project.

Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead and use alternate routes if possible. Whether driving, walking, or biking in the area, please use caution.

I appreciate your continued patience and understanding.

With the end of Spring Semester, work on the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit line by Metropolitan Council construction crews will increase significantly. Drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists will be impacted both on and around campus and should plan ahead to avoid major delays. On Monday, May 14, two major detours will go into effect.

First, the southbound lane of East River Parkway will close under the Washington Avenue Bridge for construction of a storm sewer line. During the southbound closure, the pedestrian and bicycle path on the west side of the Parkway will also close. While the northbound lane will remain open for now, East River Parkway will close completely in mid-July and all traffic will be detoured. We will send additional information on the full-closure as the date approaches.

On the east side of campus, Huron Boulevard and the Washington Avenue Triangle will also close to traffic on Monday, May 14. That busy area will remain closed until late August and detour routes will be posted.

The map below shows the affected areas of campus. For complete information and for weekly updates on the construction progress, visit the Central Corridor website.

Thank you for your continued patience during construction.

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Two road closures will significantly impact the University of Minnesota campus over the next two weeks. Drivers should be aware of the closures and detours, and allow for extra travel time.

Huron Boulevard Ramp from westbound I-94

The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced this week that the ramp from westbound I-94 to Huron Boulevard will close from Sunday, April 22 until Wednesday, May 2. Motorists who travel westbound on Interstate 94 from St. Paul and access the University of Minnesota via Huron Boulevard should expect significant delays.

Signs will be posted indicating the official project detour. People familiar with the area should explore alternate routes if possible. The official detour will direct motorists to do the following:

1. Continue westbound on I-94 past the Huron Boulevard exit
2. Exit at Riverside Avenue
3. Go south on Riverside
4. Go east I-94 east
5. Exit at Huron Boulevard

The work is part of the Minnesota Department of Transportation's on-going freeway improvement project between downtowns Minneapolis and St. Paul. For more project information, visit the Minnesota Department of Transportation website.

17th Avenue between University Avenue and 4th Street

17th Avenue between University Avenue and 4th Street will close from Monday, April 23 until Thursday, April 26. The closure is necessary as crews install a tower crane for the construction of the Fourth Street Housing and Dining Facility. Oak Street is the official detour during the closure of 17th Avenue.

Thank you for your continued patience and for driving safely in all construction areas.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has announced that the exit ramp from eastbound I-94 to Huron Boulevard will be closed from 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 7 until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 9. Students, faculty, staff and visitors who typically arrive at the University via Huron Boulevard from eastbound I-94 are encouraged to consider alternate routes or plan additional travel time.

During the ramp closure, the official detour will direct motorists to:

• continue eastbound on I-94
  exit on Cretin Avenue/Vandalia Street
  access westbound I-94
  exit on Huron Boulevard

In addition to the official detour route, drivers may want to consider other detour possibilities including:

• north on I-35W
  exit on University Avenue

• east on I-94
  north on Highway 280
  exit on University Avenue

• through downtown Minneapolis
  east on 4th Street across the Washington Avenue Bridge

The ramp closure is needed for noise wall installation that is part of the Minnesota Department of Transportation's on-going freeway improvement project between downtowns Minneapolis and St. Paul. For more project information, visit the Minnesota Department of Transportation website.

This weekend, a variety of projects will result in road closures and congestion on and around campus.

The Washington Avenue Bridge will close to vehicle traffic on Friday night as Central Corridor Light Rail Transit crews make the changes needed to move vehicle traffic from the north side of the bridge to the south side. The Bridge will close to vehicle traffic on Friday, November 18 at 10:00 p.m. and will reopen on Monday, November 21 at 5:00 a.m. Detours will be posted and motorists on campus this weekend are urged to plan ahead.

Once the work is complete, traffic will travel on the south side of the bridge and work will begin on the north side. Traffic will remain one-lane in each direction, and West Bank bus stops by Blegen and Willey Halls will be relocated to accommodate the change.

The pedestrian level of the Bridge will remain open during the vehicle-level closure this weekend. After the switch is complete on the vehicle level, pedestrian access will likewise switch from the north side of the pedestrian level to the south side. Please visit the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit website for complete information.

In addition to the Bridge closure, two projects on Pleasant Street are also expected to cause delays.

On Saturday, CCLRT crews will begin the installation of temporary traffic signal poles at the intersection of Pleasant Street and Pillsbury Avenue. All streets will remain open, but congestion and some sidewalk detours are expected. The new traffic signal is expected to be operational in late December or early January.

Also on Saturday, CenterPoint Energy will install a natural gas line for temporary heating of Northrop. The work will take place just north of the intersection of Pleasant and Arlington Streets and should be complete by the end of the day on Saturday. Once again, the street will remain open but congestion is expected.

Thank you for your patience during the on-going construction.

Harvard Street will be closed to pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle traffic between Union Street and Beacon Street beginning Monday, October 31 to accommodate work related with the new Physics-Nanotechnology Building (see map below). Union Street will be temporarily re-opened during the Harvard Street closure as a detour and to provide access to the Washington Avenue Parking Ramp.

The closure is scheduled to last from Monday, October 31 to Tuesday, November 9. Crews will be working 12 hour days on the project - from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. - to ensure timely completion of the work.

Access to the Washington Avenue Parking Ramp will not be affected by the closure.

The Central Corridor Project Office announced late this week their plans for partial and total closures of the Washington Avenue Bridge over the next two weekends. The work is part of the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit project and are necessary as preparations begin to move traffic from the north side of the Washington Avenue Bridge to the south side.

On Friday, October 7 at 7:00 p.m., the east bound lane of the Washington Avenue Bridge will close to accommodate work near the Weisman Art Museum. Traffic traveling east on Washington Avenue from downtown will exit at Cedar Avenue, and traffic and buses will be detoured to University Avenue. The east bound lane will reopen at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, October 10.

On Friday, October 14, both lanes of traffic on the Washington Avenue Bridge will close. Traffic and buses will be detoured to University Avenue. Both lanes of traffic will reopen at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, October 17.

The work will not affect the pedestrian level of the Washington Avenue Bridge. The pedestrian level will remain open to bike and pedestrian traffic. While scheduling the closures for the weekend will help minimize the impact on the University community, drivers should expect delays and plan accordingly.

For complete information on the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit project and to sign up for weekly e-mail construction updates, visit the Central Corridor website.

Beginning May 31, the inside lane and shoulder of both directions of I-94 between Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis and Cretin/Vandalia Avenue in St. Paul will close for roadway reconstruction. Additional work on I-94 is scheduled throughout the summer. For more information see the news release from MnDOT.

The following sidewalks and crosswalks are affected:

• North sidewalk from Harvard to Oak closed on May 16th, use south sidewalk or Scholars Walk.


• Crosswalks on the north and west side of the intersection of Washington and Walnut closed on May 16th, use alternate crosswalk.


• Crosswalk on the west side of the intersection of Washington and Oak closed on May 16th, use alternate crosswalk.

Pedestrian deck of Washington Avenue Bridge open on the north side, south side closed.