It has been said that the state of Minnesota has two seasons: winter and road construction. Well, we are firmly into the latter, and because of that fans that are attending Minnesota Vikings Training Camp starting on Friday can expect delays, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Nick Ferraro of the St. Paul Pioneer Press spoke with DoT officials, and was told that work being performed on I-494 will “absolutely impact” fans attempting to make the trip to Eagan.
The Vikings will, apparently, be providing fans at the Twin Cities Orthopedic Performance Center with maps showing how they can avoid the road issues while coming to camp, but here are some of the particulars from Ferraro’s article:
Eastbound I-494 traffic will be especially slow over the next two weekends as the highway is down to one lane by 9 p.m. Friday, Klein said. Two of the three westbound lanes will be open.
What’s more, the Dodd Road ramp from eastbound I-494 will be shut down at 7 p.m. Friday. To get to training camp, MnDOT is recommending fans go north on I-35E, then east on Highway 62 and south on Dodd Road.
Three other area ramps between I-35E and Highway 62 also will close: northbound Interstate 35E to eastbound I-494; southbound I-35E to eastbound I-494; and Highway 3 to and from eastbound I-494.
Work will be taking place on I-494 eastbound both this weekend and next weekend (2-4 August) before work shifts to the westbound side for the weekends of 9-11 August and 16-18 August.
After that, all of the construction work will be complete! Of course. . .so will Vikings Training Camp.
So, if you’re planning on making a road trip to Eagan to see some of the Vikings’ preparations for the 2019 season, you might need to allot yourself a little extra time.