Planning on attending the Twin Cities Pride Festival or a Taylor Swift concert in downtown Minneapolis this weekend? If so, be prepared for large crowds and traffic jams.
In addition to the hundreds of thousands of people expected to pour into the city, temporary road closures around Loring Park, US Bank Stadium and Target Center will make it even more difficult to get in and around downtown. And getting home might not be any easier, with a portion of I-35W on the southern subway closed Friday night through Monday morning.
“It’s going to be a busy and exciting weekend downtown,” the city of Minneapolis said in a warning Tuesday. “It’s a good idea to know your transportation options and plan ahead.”
Metro Transit announced late Monday that it would run additional light rail trains and buses on Friday and Saturday after Swift’s shows at US Bank Stadium due to expected high demand, after initially saying it was unable to provide additional services. About 100 scheduled bus trips would leave the area around the stadium between 11:30 p.m. and 1:12 a.m., the agency said.
Public transit users can purchase a $5 all-day pass that gives them unlimited travel until 2 a.m., the agency said.
SouthWest Transit and the MVTA will also provide buses to the concerts.
Those who choose to drive must bypass roadblocks to access ramps and parking meters where event fees apply.
Routes closed to motorists on Friday and Saturday nights include 4th Street from Park Avenue to Norm McGrew Place and Chicago Avenue between 4th and 6th Streets in the hours before and after Swift’s concerts.
The 9th Street block between Hennepin and Hawthorne Avenues near the Saloon Bar is closed Friday 9:00 p.m. to Monday 5:00 a.m., while Hennepin Avenue between Washington Avenue on Sunday between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m and 16th Street remains closed for Pride events.
Warehouse District Live will take over 1st Avenue between 5th and 6th streets from Friday 9am to Sunday 10am.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation will close southbound I-35W between I-494 and I-35E through Bloomington and Burnsville from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. The 3rd Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River, the ramps to and from Washington Avenue and I-394, and Plymouth Avenue over I-94 remain closed for construction.
The city will retime signals and deploy traffic controllers to keep traffic flowing, but “the volume of pedestrians, bicycles and cars downtown before and after these events is causing increased congestion.”
The city’s advice is to arrive early and “enjoy the extra time to explore all that each area has to offer.”