The northbound Highway 100 on-ramp from 50th Street will close Monday as part of the ongoing Vernon Avenue Highway 100 interchange project, Edina Engineering Director Chad Milner announced during Thursday's bi-weekly project update.

The closure, which has no scheduled reopening date until late fall, will eliminate access to northbound Highway 100 from both Grange Road and 50th Street. Drivers will need to use local detours via east and west frontage roads to reach the Benton Avenue on-ramp, or take a regional detour using southbound Highway 100 to eastbound Highway 62, then back to northbound Highway 100.

The project continues to face challenges with utility relocations. Excel Energy has submitted a permit to CPKC Rail to relocate a power line that was damaged during construction, but the approval timeline remains uncertain despite the city paying to expedite the review process. The power line relocation is critical for completing the west abutment of the Vernon Avenue bridge.

Construction progress includes completion of curb, sidewalk and initial paving work at the Interlachen Boulevard and Vernon Avenue intersection. The Holiday Gas Station area remains accessible with free-flowing traffic, while Gus Young Lane near Edina Liquor remains closed for underground utility work. Bridge girder installation for the Highway 100 bridge is tentatively scheduled for the first week of September.

Milner warned that a second major closure is planned for mid-to-late August, when the southbound Highway 100 off-ramp will close. He urged drivers to remain courteous, particularly around the Eden Avenue area where approximately 200 families have limited access options during construction.