Rockford Road Bridge Closure Begins; I-494 Stretch Closed This Weekend
If you are traveling near Plymouth this weekend you can expect to have to take some detours. Starting Friday at 10 p.m., Interstate 494 will be closed from I-694 all the way down to I-394 to remove the Rockford Road Bridge in Plymouth.
“That will be a weekend closure,” said Michael Thompson, Plymouth’s public works director. “That 494 traffic will open back up at 5 a.m. on Monday in time for the morning commute.”
Ramps Will Reopen Monday
All four ramps will open back up on Monday and will remain open for the duration of the bridge reconstruction. The bridge itself will stay closed for about 100 days.
“The bridge is being replaced because it was built in 1965,” said Thompson. “It just doesn’t handle the capacity. There were safety issues with not enough turn lanes onto the ramps. It’s just an outdated old bridge that needed to be replaced due to traffic volumes and safety concerns.”
Completion Target Date: November
The construction of the bridge will cost $13.5 million. The city partnered with Hennepin County and MnDOT for the project. The investment in this infrastructure has a goal of making the area safer — as well as increasing the visibility of the businesses — which is why the city was sure to keep the ramps open during the reconstruction of the bridge.
The construction of the bridge is expected to be completely finished by November.
