Final Full Year of Interstate 94 ‘Gap’ Project Begins Tuesday, April 7

The final full year of the Interstate 94 widening project – which has actually spanned the end of the 2010’s and most of the 2020s decade, is finally here.

But it won’t be without some headaches.

The “94 Gap” project – with its price tag of more than $75 million – was part of a Corridors of Commerce approval by Gov. Tim Walz back in 2023. It came on the heels of the project that widened the Interstate from Maple Grove to St. Michael, and then from Monticello to Clearwater, which was approved by then-Gov. Mark Dayton before he left office in 2018.

Over the past decade-plus, that has meant roadwork from Maple Grove to St. Cloud along the freeway – a lifeblood vein for trucking, transportation and commerce.

Construction crews on the eastbound lanes of the highway will begin work next week, according to MnDOT’s latest update, kicking off the 2026 season.

Westbound was expanded to three lanes in 2025. This year, MnDOT will expand eastbound  I-94 to three lanes from west of Highway 25 in Monticello to Wright County Highway 19 in Albertville.

Crews will reconstruct the road surface, add a new third lane, replace or repair underground drainage structures, and install the second noise wall along I-94 in Monticello.

• Prep work begins April 7: Expect periodic single-lane closures on both directions of I-94 as crews set up the work zone and concrete barrier. Lane closures will occur at off-peak hours, mainly overnight between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.
  • Watch for workers and flashing equipment, especially at night when sight distances lessen
• Expand lanes April 21 to late October: I-94 will remain open to two lanes each way on the adjacent new westbound side as crews reconstruct the eastbound side between Albertville and Monticello
  • Pay attention and be prepared for changes—lane shifts, no shoulders, concrete barriers between eastbound and westbound traffic, real-time travel displays ahead of the work zone, multiple crews at work, changes to local access and reduced speeds
  • Consider alternate routes or travel at off-peak hours to avoid delays
  • If a crash occurs and I-94 closes, use nearest exit and follow alternate route signs
  • Know before you go. For current road impacts on I-94, visit 511mn.org