Blue Line riders are in for a bumpy start to summer: Metro Transit is shutting down service between Target Field and Fort Snelling from 3 a.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Monday, with buses stepping in while crews get to work. The quick weekend shutdown is the opening move in a series of closures planned under the agency’s multi-year Renew the Blue program. Expect slower trips, a detour on the Hiawatha LRT bike trail, and some extra padding on the travel schedule.
Weekend closures, replacement buses, and detours
Per Metro Transit, buses will replace Blue Line trains between Target Field and Fort Snelling during this weekend’s work window. Rail service is scheduled to be back by 3 a.m. Monday. The agency is warning riders that bus timing can be unpredictable and that trips will likely take longer because of traffic and routing.
Work in the corridor will also affect the Hiawatha LRT bicycle trail, which will be detoured between Cedar-Riverside and Franklin Avenue while crews are on site.
Why crews are working now
The shutdown is part of Renew the Blue, a long-term effort to swap out worn track components and install a new signal system that upgrades equipment dating back to the line’s 2004 opening. As reported by the Star Tribune, the new signals will feature an enhanced reverse-running capability and, according to the agency, “most of the work will happen behind the scenes, inside signal houses.”
What comes next
According to Metro Transit's Renew the Blue timeline, this is only the warmup. Crews are set to pull the line out of service again on May 30 and 31. The biggest hit comes later: a full-line bus replacement from June 29 through August 19, covering the entire stretch from Target Field to the Mall of America.
Shared downtown stations with the Green Line will feel the impact during parts of that longer closure, with buses replacing Green Line trains through downtown during work windows in July and mid-August. Metro Transit notes that phasing the work lets crews coordinate with airport projects and other construction along the corridor.
How to plan
Metropolitan Council minutes from the March 25 meeting lay out the overall project schedule and note that Metro Transit plans to ramp up outreach, signage and rider alerts ahead of the longer closures. Coverage of earlier shutdowns has shown that replacement buses can significantly add to travel time and shake up transfer patterns, so riders are urged to plan for delays and look at alternate routes. The METRO D Line is flagged as an option for many trips.
Riders are encouraged to sign up for alerts and check agency notices before heading out. Metro Transit has said that outreach materials and maps for replacement-bus boarding locations will be posted in advance of the major summer closures.
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