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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA TRAFFIC ALERT | East Seventh Street Closes Through Monday as Saint Paul Weekend Traffic Builds
The closure between Payne Avenue and Lafayette Street also shuts the northbound Highway 52 ramp to East Seventh, adding another detour during a busy festival and sports weekend
SAINT PAUL, MN (September 12, 2026). Drivers heading into Saint Paul this weekend face a significant East Side closure as East Seventh Street remains shut in both directions between Payne Avenue and Lafayette Street through early Monday morning.
The closure began at 7 p.m. Friday and is scheduled to remain in place until 5 a.m. Monday, September 14.
The northbound Highway 52 ramp to East Seventh Street is also closed during the same period.
Drivers on northbound Highway 52 trying to reach East Seventh are being detoured using Plato Boulevard, Robert Street and East Seventh Street. Motorists traveling through the larger closure area are directed to Jackson Street, Pennsylvania Avenue East/Phalen Boulevard and Payne Avenue.
Local access to businesses remains available using westbound East Seventh Street, according to the city's construction update.
The closure had previously been scheduled for an earlier weekend but was moved because of weather conditions.
Its new timing places the work squarely within one of Saint Paul's busiest September weekends.
Thousands of visitors are expected for Selby Avenue JazzFest, Saint Paul Oktoberfest and St. Paul Saints games at CHS Field. Other downtown and Lowertown construction restrictions are already affecting traffic, increasing the potential for delays well beyond the immediate East Seventh work zone.
Saint Paul officials are warning motorists that road and lane closures throughout downtown can change as multiple construction projects continue.
One particularly important restriction remains on westbound Shepard Road, which is closed from Jackson Street to Eagle Parkway because of separate utility work. That closure is scheduled to continue through the end of the year.
For weekend visitors, the simplest advice is to avoid assuming that a familiar downtown route will operate normally.
Drivers attending CHS Field, Lowertown destinations or events elsewhere in central Saint Paul should allow additional travel time and check current road conditions before leaving.
Transit may be the easier option for some destinations, particularly where parking demand is also elevated because of major events.
Pedestrians and cyclists should likewise follow temporary signs around construction zones rather than relying entirely on familiar routes.
The East Seventh closure is scheduled to end at 5 a.m. Monday, September 14.
Until then, Saint Paul's weekend traffic plan requires something increasingly familiar to Twin Cities drivers this construction season: extra time and a willingness to take the long way around.
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