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MnDOT Reopens Eastbound I-394 General Lanes

All general travel lanes on I-394 between Hwy. 100 and downtown Minneapolis are now open after a months-long reconstruction.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Car Maintenance

Wide view of a multi-lane urban freeway with light traffic running toward a downtown Minneapolis skyline under overcast daylight.
All general travel lanes of eastbound I-394 between Highway 100 and downtown Minneapolis reopened Monday after a four-month reconstruction closure, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Minnesota Department of Transportation reopened the eastbound general travel lanes of I-394 on Monday, ending a closure that began in July. Drivers heading into downtown Minneapolis had been shifted onto the E-ZPass lanes for four months while crews worked.

Why it matters

The reopening restores full general-lane capacity on a major commuter corridor serving Minneapolis, after drivers spent months on the reserved E-ZPass lanes. Reconstruction of the eastbound side is complete, and the ramps along the corridor have reopened with it.

Crews rehabilitated concrete and fixed more than 30 bridges during the eastbound closure, which ran four months, as part of a westbound-and-eastbound effort tied to a $67 million project. The E-ZPass lanes remain closed until MnDOT confirms their technology is functioning.

The players

Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)

The state agency responsible for designing, building, and maintaining Minnesota's highways, including the I-394 reconstruction in the Twin Cities metro.

The details

All general travel lanes between Hwy. 100 in Golden Valley and downtown Minneapolis are open again. Solo drivers who pay can use the E-ZPass lanes, which are otherwise reserved for buses, carpools of two or more, and motorcycles, and those lanes will reopen later this week.

Timeline

  1. July: Eastbound I-394 lanes closed for reconstruction.

  2. Last year: MnDOT began repairing westbound I-394 lanes.

  3. Spring: Westbound repair work continued.

  4. Monday, November 2, 2026: Eastbound general lanes and ramps reopened.

  5. Later this week: E-ZPass lanes scheduled to reopen.

Roadmap

The reopening completes the eastbound phase of MnDOT's I-394 rebuild, which began with the westbound repairs and is part of a broader effort to renew aging concrete on urban Twin Cities freeways. Restored capacity matters most as the state moves its aging interstate pavement from emergency repair toward long-term rehabilitation.

Commuters heading into downtown Minneapolis can once again use the general lanes instead of the reserved E-ZPass lanes. Drivers planning trips this week should expect the E-ZPass lanes to return shortly, which will give solo drivers who pay another option.

The takeaway

Full lane restoration on I-394 gives Twin Cities drivers back a key commuter route after months of reduced capacity. Watch for the E-ZPass lanes to reopen later this week if you rely on that option.

What happens next

The E-ZPass lanes on eastbound I-394 are scheduled to reopen later this week once MnDOT confirms their operating technology is working.

Further reading

For more on keeping your vehicle road-ready through construction seasons, see Car Maintenance guidance.

Live Poll

Do you think your area's road construction is getting better or worse?