I-494 West In Mendota Heights Will Close This Weekend

MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN — Motorists traveling on westbound Interstate 494 between I-35E in Mendota Heights and Highway 5 near Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport will encounter a full closure beginning at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20 through 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 23.

Crews will begin closing the following ramps at 7 p.m., prior to the full closure:

• Dodd Road to westbound I-494
• I-35E to westbound I-494
• Pilot Knob Road to/from westbound I-494

Traffic will be detoured around the closure via I-35E and Highway 77/Cedar Avenue. Motorists also should expect single-lane traffic on westbound I-494 between Highway 149/Dodd Road and I-35E.

During the closure, motorists should plan ahead and give themselves additional time to reach their destinations.

The closure is needed so crews can install a pipe beneath the road as part of a larger project on I-494 to repave the road, update drainage and repair seven bridges on an eight-mile stretch of I-494 between the Minnesota River and Third Avenue in South St. Paul.

During the two-year project, motorists can expect 14 full or partial closures of I-494. Work is scheduled to be completed by fall 2020, weather permitting, according to a news release.