I-35W at I-94

Constructed in five stages, the I-35W @ I-94 Downtown to Crosstown project in Minneapolis, Minnesota, included new concrete to repair the 50-year-old interstate, 17 new bridges, a new ramp into the Lake Street business district, the reconstruction of eight blocks of Lake Street, a new transit station, new E-ZPass lanes for improved transit service, and increased access for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Among the site challenges were deep water main and sanitary sewer utilities crossing the highway. Bridge demolitions required 10 different closures of I-35W over weekends. In each case, crews were able to demolish the bridge and lay utilities across the highway within the weekend, performing excavations up to 30 feet deep. Retaining walls required deep excavations and contending with existing utilities, including 100-year-old water and sewer infrastructure.

Much of the success of this project centered around performing a complex reconstruction in a location with high population density and heavy metropolitan traffic that was further congested by the project’s necessary lane closures. Traffic control and staging were constantly reviewed and altered to benefit the community and the traveling public. These efforts resulted in shorter time frames for road closures and the early reopening of sections of the project to traffic.

The project met all 11 interim and substantial milestones. Southbound I-35W entrance ramps from downtown were opened eight months ahead of schedule, the 40th Street pedestrian bridge was opened 10 months ahead of schedule, and I-94 was opened one month ahead scheduled.