MINNEAPOLIMEDIA UPDATE | Highway 65 Closes for Emergency Bridge Work as New Blaine Traffic Restriction Begins Monday

Southbound Highway 65 is closed at County Road 10 through early Monday while Mississippi Street has reopened and a separate turn-lane closure begins near 113th Avenue. 

SPRING LAKE PARK, MN (August 30, 2026)  Drivers traveling through southern Anoka County are encountering a full weekend closure of southbound Highway 65 as crews remove and replace part of the County Road 10 bridge damaged by an oversized load last fall.

The closure began at 10 p.m. Friday and is scheduled to remain in effect until 5 a.m. Monday, August 31, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Southbound Highway 65 is closed at Anoka County Road 10, also known as Mounds View Boulevard, in Spring Lake Park.

Crews are removing the bridge’s damaged exterior fascia girder and the deck immediately above it. A replacement girder was scheduled for delivery and installation during the weekend.

The work represents a major stage in repairs MinneapoliMedia first detailed on August 16.

Official Detour Uses University Avenue and Interstate 694

During the closure, MnDOT is directing southbound Highway 65 motorists to travel:

• West on County Road 10
• South on Highway 47, or University Avenue
• East on Interstate 694
• North on Highway 65

Drivers may also choose other routes based on their destinations, but MnDOT advises motorists to follow posted signs and consult Minnesota 511 before traveling.

The loop ramp from westbound County Road 10 to southbound Highway 65 is also closed.

The ramp from southbound Highway 65 to westbound County Road 10 remains open, although drivers must leave Highway 65 at that point because the main southbound lanes are closed beneath the bridge.

Motorists should allow additional time, particularly on University Avenue, County Road 10, Interstate 694 and local streets receiving diverted traffic.

Oversized Load Struck Bridge in October

The bridge was damaged on October 28, 2025, when a semi-tractor-trailer carrying a prefabricated pedestrian bridge traveled south on Highway 65.

The load struck the exterior girder on the north side of the westbound County Road 10 bridge.

The pedestrian bridge was being transported to Coon Rapids for installation over Coon Rapids Boulevard as part of a regional trail-connection project.

The collision also caused the trailer to separate from the truck. Another vehicle subsequently struck the detached trailer, but no injuries were reported.

The crash forced the immediate closure of the loop ramp carrying northbound Highway 65 traffic to westbound County Road 10. That ramp has remained unavailable since the October collision.

Replacement Girder Is One Stage of Larger Repair

Removing the damaged beam and installing its replacement will not complete the bridge project.

MnDOT expects crews to pour the new bridge deck during another weekend operation in mid-September, weather permitting.

Additional structural, roadway and finishing work will continue afterward. The overall repair is expected to be completed late this fall.

Construction schedules can change because of weather, material deliveries, equipment problems or conditions discovered after damaged components are removed.

Drivers should not assume the southbound highway has reopened until MnDOT or Minnesota 511 confirms that the work is complete.

Mississippi Street Reopens in Fridley

While Highway 65 is closed for the weekend, another important Anoka County corridor has reopened.

Anoka County reported that Mississippi Street, or County Highway 6, reopened to traffic late Friday afternoon between East River Road and Highway 47, also known as University Avenue.

The reopening follows a summer reconstruction project conducted by Anoka County in partnership with the City of Fridley.

The project included:

• Reconstruction of two through lanes
• New and improved turn lanes
• Sidewalk and trail improvements
• Replacement of concrete pavement beneath the railroad bridge
• Pavement resurfacing
• Permanent pavement markings
• New street signs
• Turf and boulevard restoration
• Repairs involving retaining-wall cracking

The corridor had been closed to through traffic as crews completed the roadway and pedestrian improvements.

Anoka County’s construction update lists the road as open. Drivers may still encounter workers completing minor restoration or punch-list activities, but the extended full closure has ended.

Monday Closure Near 113th Avenue Is a Turn-Lane Closure

A separate Highway 65 disruption begins Monday in Blaine, but it does not involve the full closure of southbound Highway 65.

MnDOT will close the turn lane carrying southbound Highway 65 traffic to westbound 113th Avenue.

The restriction will allow crews to construct the abutments and piers for a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge spanning Highway 65 between 113th Avenue on the west and 114th Avenue on the east.

The turn lane is expected to remain closed through early November, weather permitting.

113th Avenue will remain open west of Highway 65 to serve nearby businesses. Eastbound traffic on 113th Avenue will also retain access to southbound Highway 65.

There is no direct access from 113th Avenue to northbound Highway 65.

Detours to 113th Avenue

Drivers who normally turn from southbound Highway 65 onto westbound 113th Avenue will be directed to one of two alternatives:

• Travel west on 117th Avenue and south on Ulysses Street
• Travel west on 109th Avenue and use Ulysses Street to reach 113th Avenue

Crews are scheduled to work from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Pile driving will be required to build the pedestrian bridge foundation. MnDOT said nearby residents and businesses may experience daytime noise and vibration during that work.

The restriction is part of the larger Highway 65 Blaine Interchanges project.

Highway 65 Undergoing Major Transformation

The multiyear Blaine project will convert the existing intersections at 99th, 105th, 109th and 117th avenues into grade-separated interchanges.

Highway 65 will eventually travel above the reconstructed intersections.

The project also includes frontage and backage roads between 97th and 125th avenues, changes to local street and driveway connections, reconstruction of sidewalks to comply with accessibility standards and the new pedestrian bridge between 113th and 114th avenues.

Several Anoka County projects near the Highway 65 corridor are occurring simultaneously, including work on 109th Avenue at Tournament Players Parkway and Radisson Road and construction along 105th Avenue.

The overlapping projects make advance route planning particularly important for Blaine, Spring Lake Park, Fridley, Coon Rapids and nearby communities.

Other Anoka County Restrictions Continue

Anoka County’s latest construction report identifies several additional closures and restrictions:

• Sims Road, or County Road 86, remains closed east of University Avenue in East Bethel because of settlement near a culvert.
• Portions of the Crosstown Boulevard and 161st Avenue intersection in Andover remain closed during roundabout construction. The intersection is expected to reopen around September 4.
• Baugh Street construction in Nowthen continues, with substantial completion anticipated around September 4.
• Radisson Road near 109th Avenue in Blaine is scheduled to reopen September 8.
• A new stage of construction is scheduled to close portions of 109th Avenue near Radisson Road beginning September 8.

All dates are approximate and dependent on weather and construction progress.

Drivers can obtain current highway conditions through Minnesota 511 and county-road information through the Anoka County Highway Department.

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