By Nick Woltman

St. Paul Pioneer Press

Interstate 94 will be reduced to two lanes in each direction through much of Minneapolis for four months this year, part of a major road construction project that will last into next summer.

Minnesota Department of Transportation officials will brief the public on the details of the project and alternative routes Thursday during an open house at the Minneapolis Park Board Building from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., according to a news released issued Tuesday by MnDOT.

The nearly 17-month project, which includes roadway resurfacing, overpass repairs and lighting upgrades, is scheduled to begin in late March and wrap up in July 2018, the news release said. It targets a nine-mile stretch of I-94 from Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis to Shingle Creek Parkway in Brooklyn Center. Between May and August, traffic will be reduced to two lanes in each direction.