Southbound I-35 adds Lower Michigan Street detour

For nearly a year commuters have been following the progress of the Twin Ports Interchange project.

As of Monday, southbound I-35 traffic is now routed to lower Michigan Street near Garfield Avenue. Southbound I-35 to southbound I-535 is also closed now. If driving from I-35 to I-535 southbound, continue along 35 to go on the Highway 2 Bong Bridge.

Drivers planning on going north from I-535 to I-35 can do the same thing.

"We’ll be maintaining two lanes in each direction on 35 which will keep traffic flowing," said Ellie Keen, a representative from MNDOT.

Traffic will only be on Lower Michigan until fall of 2022. After that, Lower Michigan will then be closed for staging and southbound traffic will be back on the interstate. Lower Michigan will be open to traffic again as a city street in fall of 2023 or spring of 2024.

According to MNDOT, when it’s finished, this project will make the roads much safer by getting rid of blind merges and left exits, replacing aging infrastructure and better accommodating freight movements through the interchanges.

For a full list of current or upcoming detours visit MNDOT’s website.