MINNEAPOLIS — A perfect storm of big events and freeway construction will make getting around this weekend in parts of the metro a nightmare.
Starting Friday night at 10 p.m., eastbound Interstate 94 from Highway 280 in Minneapolis to Marion Street in St. Paul will be closed for resurfacing. That lasts until Monday.
That would normally slow down traffic. But this weekend, it's happening during some next-level event congestion.
Saturday the Minnesota Twins are playing at home, there's a Vikings season kickoff party outside U.S. Bank Stadium, the Minnesota United have a home game, and the St. Paul Saints also have a playoff game at home
Saturday is also the return of the Red Bull Flugtag. That's an event where 50 teams design makeshift airplanes, and launch them off a platform above the Mississippi River to see whose can go the farthest.
St. Paul police tweeted out Friday that they're expecting nearly 200,000 people Saturday, just on their side of the river, from that and several other events.
And then there's Sunday.
The Minnesota Vikings play at noon at U.S. Bank Stadium, and the Twins at 1 p.m. at Target Field.
Metro Transit is adding extra drivers and extra train cars to keep up with the crowds. And if you're going to the Flugtag afterparty, your ride is free if you take this survey.
If you're set on driving yourself, MnDOT says leave early and expect traffic.
The City of Minneapolis offered some tips for getting around Sunday:
Open freeway connections into downtown:
- I-35W northbound (one traffic lane only)
- I-35W northbound to Fifth Avenue South
- I-35W southbound to Washington Avenue exit.
- I-94 eastbound to Fourth Street exit.
- I-94 westbound to Seventh Street exit.
- I-94 westbound to 11th Street exit.
- I-394.
Open freeway connections out of downtown:
- Third Street to southbound I-35W
- Washington Avenue to southbound and northbound I-35W
- Sixth Street to eastbound I-94.
- Third Street to westbound I-94 and I-394.
- Third Avenue North to westbound I-394.
Parking options:
- There is parking availability throughout downtown. If you prefer convenient access to Target Field, the adjacent A,B,C, and Hawthorne ramps have plenty of capacity, and the ramps empty smoothly after games, without long waits. If you’re parking on the street when coming downtown, make sure to check the signs to be sure of the time limit and hours of enforcement for your parking space. Also note that many of the metered on-street parking spaces in the area of Target Field and U.S. Bank Stadium have event rates and enforced maximum parking times.
They also recommend biking, coming early and staying late.
Having Vikings and Twins games at home on the same day is something they try to avoid, but it does happen about once or twice a year, according to our research. This year it will happen again at least on Sept. 22, and could happen another time if the Twins make a deep playoff push.
