MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | New Highway 65 Closure Begins as $195 Million Blaine Reconstruction Advances

BLAINE, MN (September 23, 2026). Drivers using Highway 65 in Blaine are facing another significant access restriction as construction advances on the corridor’s $195 million conversion into a freeway-style roadway.

Beginning at 6 a.m. Tuesday, September 22, 103rd Way was closed to and from southbound Highway 65 at Blaine International Village. The Minnesota Department of Transportation expects the closure to remain in effect through mid-October.

The designated detour directs motorists west on 104th Way, south on Buchanan Street and then back to 103rd Way. Access to area businesses and residences is expected to remain available during construction.

A separate closure at 113th Avenue and southbound Highway 65 is scheduled to continue through early November. Drivers should also expect lane closures in both directions between 97th Avenue and 121st Avenue, also known as Paul Parkway, through late fall.

The restrictions are part of a multiyear reconstruction intended to reduce crashes, congestion and delays along one of the North Metro’s busiest commercial and commuter routes. Plans call for grade-separated interchanges at 99th, 105th, 109th and 117th avenues, along with frontage roads replacing several direct highway connections.

The project also includes drainage improvements and reconstruction of existing sidewalks to meet current accessibility requirements. Construction began in June 2026 and is scheduled to continue through summer 2030.

The extended timetable means residents and businesses will experience changing traffic patterns for several years. MnDOT says individual closures remain weather dependent and may change as work progresses.

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