The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced that the agency will undertake 188 road and bridge projects statewide during the 2020 season to help maintain the state's roads and bridges, improve safety and support construction jobs across the state. Some of the projects have already begun and others — such as the work on Hwy 5 around Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport — are proceeding ahead of schedule in light of the reduced traffic volumes in Minnesota due to statewide efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, MnDOT will work on another 66 projects to make improvements to airports, ports, transit and railroads that are outside of the state road construction program.
"It is critical that MnDOT continue its work to maintain and improve our state's transportation infrastructure," said Commissioner Margaret Anderson Kelliher. "A safe, reliable and multimodal transportation system is essential to keeping our state running in times of crisis. MnDOT construction projects will continue as scheduled and within the guidance set by state and federal health officials to prevent further spread of COVID-19. We are especially grateful to our employees and partners in labor and the private sector for working together and prioritizing safety for workers on project sites."
Gov. Tim Walz provided an exemption for workers engaged in roadway construction, maintenance and utility projects in the Stay at Home Executive Order 20-20.
2020 Road and Bridge Construction
An interactive map of the full 2020 construction program can be found at mndot.gov/construction. This year's program features a number of projects in the Twin Cities metro area, including:
Hwy 5 around the airport — Resurface Hwy 5 and ramps from Mississippi River to I-494
I-94 Nicollet to 280 — Resurface I-94 and ramps between Nicollet Avenue and Hwy 280, add traffic management system and improve accessibility
I-35 Harris/Rush City — Resurface more than 8 miles between Harris and the Chisago/Pine County line, update drainage and improve safety
I-35W MnPASS North — Construct MnPASS Express Lane between CR C in Roseville and Lexington Avenue in Blaine, repave I-35W and ramps, repair and replace several bridges and install seven noise walls
Greater Minnesota will also see significant work this summer, including:
Northeast (MnDOT District 1)
Hwy 61 Grand Marais — Reconstruct and resurface Hwy 61 from Cutface Creek to Hwy 14 through Grand Marais, including accessibility and drainage improvements
Hwy 61 Grand Portage — Resurface Hwy 61 from Reservation Bay Road to the Canadian border
Hwy 53/11 International Falls — Reconstruct Hwy 53 from Crescent Drive to 4th Street and Hwy 11 from Hwy 71 to Hwy 53 in International Falls
Northwest (MnDOT District 2)
Hwy 1 and Hwy 32 — Between MnDOT, County, City and the Watershed there are eight different projects happening in the vicinity of Thief River Falls. MnDOT has coordinated with each of the agencies in order to limit the overall impacts through staging and shared detours.
Hwy 72 in Baudette — Replace the International Bridge; this multi-year project will see the new bridge open later this summer. The old bridge will then be demolished and removed.
Hwy 2 — Resurface between Bena and Ball Club, and construct new multi-use trail in Bena to improve pedestrian safety
Hwy 200 near Laporte — Reconstruct and raise grade in order to improve safety and reduce flooding impacts
Central (MnDOT District 3)
I-94 Maple Grove to Clearwater — Resurface road, replace/construct bridges, add lanes and improve access along 39 miles of I-94
Hwy 10 Wadena — Reconstruct Hwy 10 from Birch Avenue to east of County Road 4 in the city of Wadena; includes sidewalks, accesses and utilities
Hwy 47 Isle to Ogilvie — Reconstruct 22 miles of road surface, improve road access and update drainage between Hwy 27/47 in Isle and Hwy 23 in Ogilvie. Replace two bridges near Ann Lake
Hwy 24 Annandale — Reconstruct from Hwy 55 to Poplar Avenue in Annandale; includes pedestrian sidewalks and city utilities
West Central (MnDOT District 4)
Hwy 210 west of Fergus Falls — Reconstruct from west of I-94 to just east of the Otter Tail/Wilkin county line; resurface with concrete, widen shoulder on west end of project, construct turn/bypass lanes, truck inspection lane and install snow fence
Hwy 28, 29, 114 Starbuck — Complete streets reconstruction in Starbuck; resurface, replace utilities, improve pedestrian accessibility and construct multi-use trail
Hwy 28 Chokio to Morris — Resurface approximately 13 miles from Chokio to Morris; replace culverts, install snow fence near Morris; improve pedestrian accessibility in Chokio
Hwy 55 bridge replacement — Replace bridge over the Pomme de Terre River near Barrett
Southeast (MnDOT District 6)
Hwy 14 — Expand Hwy 14 to four lanes between Owatonna and Dodge Center
Hwy 61 Lake City — Reconstruct Hwy 61 through Lake City
Hwy 63/I-90 Interchange — Replace Hwy 63 bridges; build or reconstruct two I-90 off ramps south of Rochester
I-90 Austin — Resurface eastbound I-90 with concrete from Freeborn CR 46 to Hwy 105 in Austin
South Central (MnDOT District 7)
I-90 Fairmont — Resurface 16 miles of eastbound I-90 from Hwy 15 in Fairmont to the Blue Earth River
Hwy 22/Hwy 111 Nicollet to Gaylord — Resurface 19 miles, construct snow fence in problem area, perform utility work in Nicollet
Hwy 71 Jackson to Windom/Windom to Hwy 30 — Resurface and replace bridge
Southwest (MnDOT District 8)
Hwy 23 Cottonwood to Granite Falls — Resurface with concrete 18 miles from Cottonwood to Granite Falls; realign Lyon CR 9 intersection in Cottonwood and construct several left-turn lanes
Hwy 15 Hutchinson — Reconstruct downtown Main Street from 2nd Ave N to 5th Ave S; improve lighting and pedestrian accessibility; update city utilities; resurface Hwy 15 from 5th Ave S to CR 115
Hwy 12/Hwy 40 Willmar Wye — Realign Hwy 12 and reconstruct Hwy 40 on the west side of Willmar; construct two roundabouts; construct a new rail line
Hwy 12 Litchfield — Reconstruct Hwy 12 in downtown Litchfield; improve lighting and pedestrian accessibility; update city utilities
For a complete list of projects by highway, visit mndot.gov/roadwork/current.html. Project page information includes construction schedule, traffic impacts, maps, benefits and costs.
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