PLYMOUTH, Minnesota — At work on Memorial Day at Cornerstone Automotive, it's hard for salesman Joel Rachwitz not to focus on his near future.
It rests with the yellow construction equipment parked a few hundred feet from his office window.
“Both sides have the exact same sign up,” Rachwitz says. “It's going to be May 28th, they're closing it completely.”
Tuesday, the ramps on and off I-494 will be closed on the north side of Rockford Road in Plymouth.
In June, the Rockford Road bridge will come down too. Demolition and construction of the new bridge is expected to close Rockford Road at I-494 for 100 days.
The final phase of the project, which will close the southern I-494 ramps, should be complete by November.
Rachwitz knows he’ll be helping his customers navigate detour routes. “And we’re also putting something on our website explaining alternate routes to get here, because we want people to find their way in,” he says.
It’s one of several metro area summer road construction projects including:
Six miles of road resurfacing at - and north of - the I-35 split.
A rebuild of the I-94, I-494, I-694 interchange.
A rehab of I-494 from South St. Paul into Inver Grove Heights.
The replacement of the I-35W Minnesota River Bridge.
The massive multi-year rebuilding of I-35 from I-94 to the Crosstown Freeway.
Construction has also started on a MnPASS express lane, affecting traffic from Roseville to Lino Lakes.
But look at the bright side. “Fun view of construction equipment all day,” Rachwitz says.
It's what a good car salesman does.
“It just means we're going to get a lot of people who get some really good deals on a construction sale,” the Rachwitz says with a laugh.