Crews to close I-94 in St. Paul Oct. 24-27 for bridge work
ROSEVILLE, Minn. –Crews will close westbound Interstate 94 between I-35E and Dale Street, and eastbound I-94 between Highway 280 and University Avenue East in St. Paul, from 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24 through 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 27, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The closure is part of the ongoing repair of nine bridges over I-94 and I-35E in St. Paul.
Weekend traffic on westbound will be directed from northbound I-35E to westbound Highway 36 to southbound Highway 280. Traffic on eastbound will be directed to northbound Highway 280 to eastbound Highway 36 to southbound I-35E.
Upcoming ramp closures as part of the work include:
- Marion Street ramp onto eastbound I-94 and westbound I-94 ramp onto Marion Street will close 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24 through 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 27.
- 5th Street ramp leaving downtown St. Paul onto westbound I-94 will be close 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24 through 2 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 25.
- 10th Street ramp exiting eastbound I-94 into downtown St. Paul will close Tuesday, Oct. 21 though Tuesday, Oct. 28. Eastbound traffic entering downtown will be directed to the Kellogg exit on I-94.
These closures are part the careful disassembly and rebuilding of the John Ireland Boulevard bridge over I-94 between Kellogg Boulevard and West 12th Street. Residents and businesses near the bridge will likely hear jack hammering and piledriving throughout the weekend. Bridge work began Oct. 6 and is anticipated to finish in August 2026.
Constructed in 1967, the John Ireland Bouevard bridge was in safe condition, but a focused structural repair is necessary to ensure it remains safe for travelers based on modern weight limits. The bridge is being rebuilt within the same footprint as the existing bridge. Other safety and cosmetic changes will include sidewalk repairs, updates to existing bike and pedestrian crossings, accessibility updates and railing replacements.
All construction activities and traffic impacts are weather and schedule dependent and subject to change. The department encourages people traveling in and around downtown St. Paul to plan ahead and review closures, especially for high-traffic events. MnDOT also urges motorists to always be attentive, drive with caution and slow down in work zones where workers are present.
This project requires periodic weekend closures of I-94 and partial bridge closures to ensure proper maintenance of bridges along the interstates. For more information about this project work or to sign up for email updates, visit the project website at mndot.gov/metro/projects/johnirelandbridge.
For updated road condition information, visit www.511mn.org.
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