Many Minnesotans have heard the saying, "There are two seasons in Minnesota: winter and road construction," and this year was no different. 

After months of Interstate 94 being reduced to two lanes each way, spanning from Interstate 35W to just beyond the Mississippi River, a full closure in both directions between I-35W and Highway 280 is happening from 10 p.m. Friday to Monday at 5 a.m.

The vital artery connecting Minneapolis and St. Paul carries between 114,000 and 167,000 vehicles per day.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation says the $16 million project is meant to smooth roads and repair bridges. 

Some drivers say it has been a huge nightmare. 

Kent Barnard with MnDOT says the disruption is worth it.

"Number of bridges between 35W and Highway 280 that needed repairs, resurfacing done, that was important for this project," Barnard said. "We got to keep up, just keep everything in good working conditions."

Local businesses are feeling the pressure. Emily Hoppenjan is the General Manager at Pizza Luce Seward and says every detour means cold pizza and delayed orders.

"We've been down a couple percentage points, which is thousands of dollars for us over the summer," Hoppenjan said. 

MnDOT says that once this weekend's work is done, all lanes of I-94 will be open through Labor Day.

Barnard says it was important to get traffic back to its normal configuration before the Minnesota State Fair began to allow for smooth travel for drivers. 

Construction resumes after Labor Day through the end of September.

Motorists are encouraged to use the posted detour route of I-35W, Highway 36, Interstate 35E and I-94.