A Big Shift: Eastbound I-394 Changes Begin July 8

A summer-long road construction project will undergo a significant change on Wednesday, July 8, impacting drivers who travel to downtown Minneapolis from the west metro on eastbound Interstate 394.

According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), eastbound I-394 traffic will be shifted to the E-ZPass lanes with traffic reduced to two lanes between Louisiana Avenue and downtown Minneapolis. That also means no E-ZPass tolls, carpool or transit options.

The change and traffic impacts will continue through November. 

While that’s a considerable change for drivers heading into downtown Minneapolis, traffic headed the other direction will get a reprieve: the main westbound I-394 lanes will reopen. Those lanes had been closed since February. In addition, both lanes on the ramp from westbound I-94 to I-394 after the Lowry Hill tunnel will return to normal.

The changes are necessary as MnDOT repairs and restores more than 30 bridges across I-394 and I-94. The project is about halfway finished.

Roughly 120,000 drivers use I-394 everyday, according to MnDOT traffic data, and officials have acknowledged the July 8 project will cause significant bottlenecks.

Traffic on the affected stretch of I-394 is also disrupted by a separate project to extend auxiliary lanes between Louisiana Avenue and Xenia Avenue/Park Place Boulevard.

Other traffic impacts due to the July 8 change include:

• Eastbound I-394 ramp to westbound I-94 is closed through November.
• Cedar Lake Road ramp to eastbound I-394 is closed through November.
• Xenia Avenue/Park Place Boulevard to eastbound I-394 is closed through November.
• Penn Avenue ramps to/from westbound I-394 remain closed through November.
• Penn Avenue ramps to/from eastbound I-394 are closed through November.

You can visit the MnDOT I-394 project webpage for a full list of traffic impacts.

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