MnDOT announces more ramp, lane closures starting Friday night in Washington County
Drivers looking to get across the state border between Minnesota and Wisconsin may want to avoid using Interstate 94 – at least for the next couple of months.
As reported earlier this week, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is working to pave both directions of the interstate between Highway 95 and St. Croix Trail and the St. Croix River, a project estimated to cost $120 million. The agency previously said both directions of the highway would be down to a single lane starting at 9 p.m. on Wednesday – from just west of Highway 95 and St. Croix Trail to the middle of the bridge. Traffic would then be up to two lanes starting early Thursday morning until late June.
Early Friday afternoon, the agency announced that, due to weather conditions, the contractor wasn’t able to complete the traffic shift scheduled for Thursday night and now plans to do that Friday night – as long as no more rain falls.
Starting at 7 p.m., both directions of I-94 will be down to a single lane overnight between Highway 95/St. Croix Trail and the middle of the bridge. In addition, the agency says it will also be closing the ramp from southbound Highway 35 to westbound I-94 in Hudson until early June.
At 5 a.m. Saturday, May 4, both directions of I-94 will be down to two lanes in that stretch of roadway, according to MnDOT.
The work is now causing extreme backups, causing headaches for those trying to get to work, appointments and more, with many taking to social media to voice their frustration in the comments of posts made by county agencies.
Traffic cameras with both MnDOT and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) showed westbound vehicles backed up past Carmichael Road.
MnDOT issued the following response to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS on Friday regarding the project:
“Yes, we are aware of the traffic back-ups in that area. We know construction season can be challenging, especially at certain times of the day. We appreciate everyone’s patience while we work to improve these important roadways. In this project, drivers are encouraged to use the Highway 95 ramp lane as a second lane of traffic right now. We know this has been confusing for some travelers. We will be adding more signage in the project, improving lane marking and closing the ramp from southbound Highway 35 in Wisconsin to westbound I-94 into Minnesota to help mitigate the issue and improve safety. We also encourage travelers to use 511mn.org to see their route before they get behind the wheel to anticipate work zones and any back-ups or find alternative routes that may be better.”
A spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Transportation
An interactive traffic map showing current conditions can be found below. CLICK HERE to learn more about the ongoing project.