Minneapolis drivers finally got a break Monday morning. After 2 years of heavy construction, the biggest restrictions on I-394 have been lifted.
The reopening is a major step for one of the Twin Cities’ busiest commuter routes. But a few changes and short-term closures are still part of the picture.
What reopened on I-394 this week
All general travel lanes on Interstate 394 between Hwy. 100 in Golden Valley and downtown Minneapolis reopened on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026. That includes the eastbound side, which had been closed since July while crews wrapped up the final phase of work.
For the past 4 months, drivers heading into downtown Minneapolis were shifted into the E-ZPass lanes. MnDOT used that setup so work crews could rehabilitate concrete and repair more than 30 bridges along the corridor.
This reopening marks the near end of a $67 million construction project that stretched across 2 construction seasons. Last year and through spring 2026, crews focused on westbound I-394, and outbound drivers from Minneapolis also had to use the E-ZPass lanes during that phase.
I-394 carries about 120,000 vehicles a day on average, so reopening all general lanes should ease a lot of pressure during the morning commute. For many drivers coming from Golden Valley and the western suburbs, Monday’s change means a much more normal route into downtown.
Which ramps are open again and what is still changing
Several ramps reopened Monday along with the eastbound lanes. Those include eastbound I-394 to westbound I-94, Cedar Lake Rd. to eastbound I-394, Xenia Ave./Park Place Blvd. to eastbound I-394, and ramps in both directions from Penn Avenue to I-394.
There is still one delayed reopening drivers should know about. The ramp from Linden Avenue to westbound I-94 is scheduled to reopen Tuesday, according to MnDOT.
The E-ZPass lanes are not fully back to normal yet, even though general lanes are open. MnDOT said those lanes will reopen later this week after crews verify that the technology needed to operate the system is working properly.
That means some commuters may still see temporary traffic pattern changes for a few more days in early November 2026. If you regularly use the managed lanes, it is worth expecting a short transition period before the corridor operates exactly as it did before July.
What Minneapolis drivers should expect next
Even with the main project largely wrapped up, MnDOT said drivers could still face some short-term closures through the end of 2026. So while Monday’s reopening is the biggest milestone yet, it is not necessarily the last traffic disruption on the route.
The most important takeaway is that the long eastbound closure is over. Drivers heading from Hwy. 100 toward downtown Minneapolis now have full access to the general lanes again, which should reduce confusion and improve travel times during peak hours.
This matters because I-394 is not a side street or minor connector. With roughly 120,000 vehicles using it each day, even one lane closure can ripple across Golden Valley, Penn Avenue, downtown Minneapolis, and nearby I-94 connections.
For daily commuters, the advice now is simple: enjoy the reopened lanes, but stay alert for final cleanup work in November and December 2026. After 2 difficult construction seasons, the freeway is finally much closer to normal.
