Washington Avenue Bridge will close for a week, starting Monday, for construction workers to lay Central Corridor light-rail tracks on it, Metropolitan Council spokeswoman Laura Baenen said.

She said the weeklong closure is meant to avoid multiple weekend closures once fall semester begins at the University of Minnesota.

Westbound traffic will detour to Fourth Street Southeast and southbound 35W. Eastboud traffic will reroute to northbound 35W and University Avenue Southeast.