Major state highway projects wrap up as 2016 road construction season comes to an end

ST PAUL, Minn. — Motorists are starting to see the benefits of the 2016 road construction season as many of the state’s 246 construction projects wrap up for the season, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Some of the big projects completed this year include the Dresbach Bridge in southeastern Minnesota; Interstate 494, I-35E, Highway 100 and Highway 610 in the Twin Cities Metro area; I-94 in central Minnesota; and the I-94 interchange at Highway 75 in Moorhead.

“We completed some very significant work this year,” said Commissioner Charlie Zelle. “It was important work that improved safety and ensured that the transportation system will continue to support the state’s economic progress.”

For a complete list of 2016 projects and their status, see http://www.mndot.gov/roadwork/current.html; and for studies and plans for possible future projects, visit http://www.mndot.gov/roadwork/future.html.

Motorists can receive email updates about Minnesota highway projects. More than 74,000 Minnesotan’s are currently signed up to receive updates.

Statewide project highlights in 2016 include:

Central Minnesota

• Highway 371 four-lane expansion – Project expands Highway 371 to four lanes from Nisswa to Jenkins. New four-lane segment scheduled to open May/June 2017. Project complete by fall 2017. (Construction cost: $49.85 million)

• I-94 St. Cloud to Collegeville – Resurfaced six miles of I-94 between St. Cloud and Collegeville, and repaired two bridges at the I-94/Highway 15 interchange in St. Cloud. The projects improved drainage, safety and the road’s ride, and extended the life of the roadway and bridges. (Construction cost: $16.5 million)

• Highway 25 in Buffalo – A project to reconstruct much of Highway 25 through Buffalo’s downtown business district will be complete this fall. The project reconstructed the road, improved the Highway 25/Highway 55 intersection, improved utilities, upgraded lighting, will expand a segment of Highway 25 to four lanes. This project is part of a multi-year, multi-project plan with the city of Buffalo to improve mobility, safety and infrastructure in Buffalo and Wright County. (Construction cost: MnDOT $6.7 million, City of Buffalo $4.8 million)

Twin Cities area

• St. Croix Crossing (Highway 36) – All river pier construction was completed this construction season, and the final segments on the river bridge and approach bridge were placed in October. The bridge is still on schedule to open to traffic in fall 2017. (Construction cost: $617-646 million)

• I-35E in St. Paul – This four-year project is nearing completion as traffic shifted to the permanent I-35 lanes between I-94 and Maryland Avenue. The Cayuga interchange will be complete when the ramp from southbound I-35E to Cayuga St. is opened around Thanksgiving. Final stages of project will be completed in spring 2017. (Construction cost: $116 million)

• I-494 rehabilitation between I-394 and the I-94/I-494/I-694 interchange – Crews are finishing construction on northbound I-494 between the I-94/I-494/I-694 interchange and I-394. Both directions of I-494 between I-394 and Highway 55 will open to three lanes of traffic in early November. The three-year project added a lane in each direction, replaced bridges and did maintenance repairs on several ramps. (Construction cost: $86 million)

• Highway 610 in Maple Grove – The newest stretch of highway in the Twin Cities Metro area should open to traffic just before Thanksgiving. The 2.5 mile extension of Highway 610 will carry traffic between the Hennepin County Road 81 and Elm Creek Boulevard area and I-94 in Maple Grove. (Construction cost: $81 million)

• Highway 100 — The Highway 7 bridge over Highway 100 in St. Louis Park reopened Oct. 31. Highway 100 between 36th Street and 25½ Street will remain two lanes in each direction until the second week of November while crews continue working on the center median barriers. The 2.5 year construction project included widening the highway to include three lanes in each direction, reconfiguring and reconstructing the Minnetonka Boulevard, the Highway 7 and the Cedar Lake Trail/railroad bridges and building noise walls along the 1.6 mile stretch of road. (Construction cost: $60 million)

• I-35E between Vadnais Heights and White Bear Lake — The majority of the work will be complete in late November. The project included resurfacing the roadway and ramps, replacing or re-decking bridges and adding MnPASS lanes and noise walls. The Highway 96 bridge over I-35E is expected to open in mid-November. The MnPASS lanes and the two I-35E bridges over Goose Lake Road will be completed by late November. (Construction cost: $42 million)

• I-694 – The first year of work to add a third lane to each direction of I-694 between Rice Street in Little Canada/Vadnais Heights and Lexington Avenue in Arden Hills is nearly complete. The new westbound lane will be completed by late November with three lanes of traffic and no restrictions through the winter. Construction of the new third lane on the eastbound roadway in the same area begins next year. (Construction cost: $35 million)

• Highway 5 in St. Paul near Fort Snelling – The Highway 5 bridge and trail are complete and open. Crews also repaired the Shepard Road and Edgcumbe Road bridges. (Construction cost: $13.8 million)

• Highway 61 and Highway 97 roundabouts in Forest Lake — Crews reconstructed the Highway 61 and Highway 97 intersections in Forest Lake, removed the traffic signals from the north and south intersections of Highway 97 and replaced them with two roundabouts to enhance traffic flow in the area. MnDOT also constructed a pedestrian bridge over Highway 61 to improve safety. (Construction cost: $10.1 million)

• Highway 36 in Roseville – Construction of two new bridges to carry Highway 36 over Lexington Avenue was completed early this fall. Resurfacing of the highway between Dale Street and Hamline Avenue, and work on the ramps at Hamline Avenue and Dale Street, will be completed by early November. (Construction cost: $10 million)

• I-94 Bridges in St. Paul - Crews repaired nine bridges at: Pelham Avenue, Cretin Avenue, Cleveland Avenue, Prior Avenue, Pascal Street, Hamline Avenue, Lexington Avenue, Victoria Street and Dale Street. Work included concrete repair, patching, resurfacing, guardrail upgrades, bridge rail upgrades, accessible pedestrian ramp improvements, bridge inspections and a bridge re-deck on the Prior Avenue Bridge. (Construction cost: $4.3 million)

Northern Minnesota

• Highway 53 relocation project - Crews continue to install the large steel girders that will support the roadway and pedestrian walkway on the bridge over Rouchleau Pit. Crews will continue to place beams through January and will begin the bridge deck construction next spring. The new roadway and bridge will open in November 2017. (Construction cost: $156 million)

• I-35 Pine County resurfacing and bridge replacement – MnDOT reduced the effect to motorists of this project by completing it in one construction season instead of two. This project included pavement resurfacing, new guardrail, new approach panels and a new bridge. (Construction cost: $27 million)

• Highway 217 resurfacing and bridge repair project – This project, south of International Falls, repaired the Highway 217 bridge at the Rat Root River and resurfaced 17 miles of highway. (Construction cost: $4.8 million)

• I-94/Highway 75 in Moorhead – Work on I-94 and the I-94/Highway 75 interchange in Moorhead wrapped up in late October. The project included constructing auxiliary lanes on I-94 and reconstructing the I-94/Highway 75 interchange to a diverging diamond configuration. The project will improve safety and traffic flow in south Moorhead. (Construction cost: $13.9 million)

• Highway 75 near Kent – Work on the Highway 75 realignment project near Kent is nearly complete. The new alignment removes the road from the flood plain and eliminated a low-clearance railroad bridge. Crews also constructed a new bridge over Whiskey Creek, which was weight restricted and in need of replacement. (Construction cost: $9.8 million)

• Highway 11 in Baudette - This project was finished 17 days ahead of schedule. It resulted in the modernization of city utilities, improved drainage, enhanced pedestrian safety and extended the life of the Highway 11 pavement and Baudette Bay Bridge deck. (Construction cost: $5.8 million)

Western Minnesota

• I-94/Highway 29 in Alexandria – Crews are nearing completion on a two-year bridge, four-lane expansion and roundabout project near I-94. This year’s work involved reconstructing the Highway 29 bridges over I-94 along with signal and lighting upgrades and interstate ramp improvements. The project will result in a safer bridge and improved traffic flow on Highway 29 near I-94. (Construction cost: $14.8 million)

• Highway 23 from I-90 to Willmar – Crews constructed passing lanes along the Highway 23 corridor, providing regular passing opportunities to provide the most benefit to manufacturers, commuters, agricultures and others that use the highway. Passing lanes were constructed near Ihlen, between Pipestone and Jasper, Russell and Florence and Clara City to Raymond. (Construction cost: $10.9 million)

Southern Minnesota

• Dresbach Bridge (I-90) – The new Mississippi River crossing has traffic traveling on two separate bridges parallel and upstream from where the previous bridge stood. The new interchange provides full movement with no signals between I-90 and Highway 61, and access to the Minnesota Welcome Center and boat launches from all directions. (Construction cost: $187 million)

• Winona Bridge (Highway 43) – Construction was completed on the new bridge, which opened to traffic in August. The existing bridge is closed and workers have begun the rehabilitation work, which is expected to be completed sometime in the fall 2019 to spring 2020. (Construction cost: $142 million)

• Highway 169 Mankato to St. Peter – Highway 169 was resurfaced and raised in four flood-prone areas. Median barriers were added to reduce cross-over crashes. This was the third and final flood mitigation project along the Minnesota River in south central Minnesota. (Construction Cost: $31.2 million)

• Highway 14 Nicollet to North Mankato – The project to expand Highway 14 to four lanes and build a south bypass of Nicollet with an interchange for Highway 14/Highway 111 will be completed in November. Safety and mobility will be enhanced along this critical corridor in southern Minnesota. (Construction cost: $34 million)

• I-90 preservation projects – Multiple projects to preserve the aging interstate in southwest Minnesota took place in 2016. This effort to restore I-90 began in 2014 and will continue into 2018. (2016 Construction cost: $15 million)

A list of all current construction projects is at: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/roadwork/current.html. For Minnesota statewide travel information, visit http://www.511mn.org, call 511 or log on to http://www.mndot.gov.

Motorists can keep informed about projects and other transportation topics by connecting to MnDOT via social media or signing up to receive email updates at http://www.mndot.gov.