MINNEAPOLIMEDIA TRAFFIC ALERT | I-394 Ramp to Eastbound I-94 Closes Tonight for Entire Weekend

Drivers heading through Minneapolis should prepare for a major detour beginning at 10 p.m. Friday as MnDOT carries out bridge repairs through early Monday

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (September 11, 2026). Drivers traveling through Minneapolis this weekend should prepare for a significant freeway closure beginning Friday night, when the ramp connecting eastbound Interstate 394 with eastbound Interstate 94 shuts down for bridge repairs.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation will close the ramp beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, September 11.

It is scheduled to remain closed until 5 a.m. Monday, September 14.

The closure affects drivers attempting to continue from eastbound I-394 onto eastbound I-94.

It does not mean eastbound I-394 itself is closing.

Drivers traveling eastbound on I-394 will still be able to continue toward downtown Minneapolis, and the Dunwoody Boulevard exit will remain accessible.

Westbound I-394 will also remain open throughout the weekend, including for motorists leaving downtown Minneapolis events.

The official MnDOT detour for motorists who need to reach eastbound I-94 directs traffic to Highway 169, Interstate 694 and then eastbound I-94.

That is a substantial diversion, and MnDOT is advising motorists to allow additional travel time.

Other major routes available during the closure include Interstate 35W, Highway 55, Highway 62 and Highway 100.

The weekend shutdown is part of a larger MnDOT project repairing and restoring more than 30 bridges along I-94 and I-394.

For this weekend's work, crews will repair the ramp surface using a high-strength, faster-curing coating.

MnDOT says the material allows crews to complete the work more quickly than some conventional repair methods while still requiring enough uninterrupted access to make a full weekend closure necessary.

Tim Nelson, director of construction, surveys and materials for MnDOT's Metro District, acknowledged that shutting down the heavily traveled connection will disrupt motorists but said the approach allows crews to accelerate the repairs while maintaining worker safety and keeping the broader project on schedule.

The larger bridge project is expected to continue into November.

Friday's closure is also not expected to be the final I-394 traffic disruption.

MnDOT says additional directional weekend closures are planned in the coming weeks as bridge work continues.

For this weekend, motorists approaching Minneapolis from the west should decide before reaching the interchange whether they need downtown Minneapolis or eastbound I-94.

Those heading downtown can remain on eastbound I-394.

Those whose trip requires eastbound I-94 should plan around the closed connector and use MnDOT's designated detour or another appropriate route.

Construction schedules remain weather dependent and can change.

Motorists can check Minnesota's 511 traveler-information service for current road conditions and real-time traffic information before leaving.

The closure begins at 10 p.m. Friday and is scheduled to end at 5 a.m. Monday.

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