The Minnesota Department of Transportation has temporarily banned trucks over 9,000 pounds from the Lowry Hill Tunnel on the western edge of downtown Minneapolis.
According to KSTP, the construction, which is set to last until mid-September. MnDOT reported they’ve reduced the lanes from 12 feet wide to 10 feet wide, making it a “dangerous squeeze” when trucks come through.
“We just don’t think it’s safe right now,” MnDOT spokesperson Dave Aeikens explains.
“We’ve had some pretty close calls there with hitting the side and hitting the lights already with trucks that have gone through there,” Aeikens continued.
The Minnesota State Patrol is enforcing the ban as well, issuing $300 citations to any semi truck caught using the tunnel between now and September.
State Patrol spokesperson Tiffani Nielson says motorists can expect troopers to have a larger presence than normal near the Lowry Hill Tunnel in the next few months.
