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MnDOT Announces 2019 State Road Construction Projects

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Transportation Commissioner Margaret Anderson Kelliher today announced 221 state road and bridge projects that will be worked on across Minnesota this year. The projects, some of which are already underway, will help maintain the state’s roads and bridges, improve safety for motorists and support thousands of construction jobs across the state.

Anderson Kelliher also announced 66 multimodal projects, which include airport, port, transit and railroad projects that are outside of the state road construction program.

Transportation funding deficit persists

Despite the construction program this year, Anderson Kelliher said the long-term transportation funding picture remains bleak compared to the state’s overall needs.

Many of this year’s projects have been in the planning process for several years. Looking ahead, MnDOT projects an $18 billion deficit in funding over the next 20 years, which will hinder the agency’s ability to maintain current assets, improve safety or plan ahead to meet the needs of Minnesota’s growing population.

“These projects are critical investments in our aging infrastructure, but there are also more than 500 more projects across the state that are waiting for funding,” Anderson Kelliher said. “Without additional revenue for transportation, our roads and bridges will continue to deteriorate and our overall system and economy will suffer.”

2019 road and bridge construction

This year’s construction program features a number of projects in the Twin Cities metro area, including:

I-35W Minnesota River Bridge replacement – Replace bridge and pavement between Cliff Rd. and 106th St., raise I-35W out of the floodplain and improve pedestrian access across the river

I-35W Downtown to Crosstown – Replace and improve bridges and pavement on I-35W from 46th St. to 11th Ave, Hwy 65 from 26th St. to 15th St., and I-94 from Nicollet Ave. to Park Ave. Build new MnPASS lane, Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit Station, improve access to Lake Street Business District, noise and safety improvements

I-35W MnPASS North – Construct MnPASS Express Lane between CR C in Roseville and Lexington Ave. in Blaine, repave I-35W and ramps, repair and replace several bridges and install seven noise walls

I-35 split in Forest Lake – Repave six miles from just south of the I-35 split to north of Hwy 8 at the Chisago/Washington county line, repair three bridges

I-35 concrete overlay in Pine City – Resurface more than eight miles between Harris and the Chisago/Pine County line, update drainage and improve safety

I-694/94/494 interchange – Replace and widen NB and SB interchange bridges, repair pavement, build new auxiliary lanes, buffer lanes and reconstruct ramp

I-494 pavement rehab in Inver Grove Heights – Widen and resurface bridge deck over Concord St./Hwy 156, repair and replace pavement, build auxiliary lane, improve drainage, build noise wall

Greater Minnesota will also see significant work this summer, including:

Central

I-94 Monticello – Reconstruct and improve 14 miles in Monticello from Hwy 25 to Hwy 24; add lanes, new pavements, reconstruct bridges and safety improvements

I-94 Albertville – Reconstruct 6 miles near Albertville Hwy 241 to CR 19; add lanes, new pavement, reconstruct bridges and safety improvements

Highway 15 Kimball – Reconstruct 12 miles from Hwy 55 in Kimball to 66th Ave. in St. Augusta, replace and repair culverts and improve accessibility and signal at Hwy 15/CR 37/CR 136 intersection in St. Augusta

Highway 10 Wadena – Reconstruct and widen Hwy 10 through Wadena business district, including traffic signal replacement and upgrade pedestrian sidewalks. Resurface Hwy 10 from Bluffton to Oink Joint Rd

Highway 210 Brainerd – Reconstruct 14 miles from end of four-lane in Brainerd to 7th Ave. in Ironton, replace and repair pipes and improve access

I-94 Alexandria to Garfield – Concrete resurface approximately 6 miles from Hwy 29 near Alexandria to Hwy 114 near Garfield, replace eastbound I-94 bridge over Lake Latoka, Lake Latoka Rest Area closed during construction

Hwy 59/55/79 – Resurface and reconstruct these highways in Elbow Lake, lighting and pedestrian accessibility improvements

North

I-35 Snake River – Construct four new bridges at Snake River at Hwy 70 and CR 7 near Pine City, resurface seven miles.

Highway 65 Sandy River – Resurface approximately 16 miles from Sandy River to Hwy 200, repair or replace several culverts and make accessibility improvements at the Big Sandy Lake Overlook

Highway 65 Aitkin/Itasca counties – Resurface approximately 25 miles from Hwy 200 to Hwy 169 near Pengilly

Highway 371 Cass Lake – Urban reconstruct in Cass Lake, improve pedestrian accessibility and upgrade signal on Hwy 2

Highway 71 – Construct roundabout at Hubbard CR 53/15 in Park Rapids

Highway 75 – Urban reconstruct and flood mitigation in Hendrum and Halstad

South

Highway 14 Tracy – Resurface approximately 13 miles from 4th St. in Tracy to CR 7 in Revere, repair culverts and guardrail

Highway 40 Milan bridge – Replace bridge over Lac qui Parle Lake west of Milan

I-90 Albert Lea – Resurface westbound I-90 with concrete from Hwy 13 near Albert Lea to CR 46

I-90 bridge – Repair bridges at 12 locations on I-90 between St. Charles and Nodine

I-90 Dakota – Resurface all lanes of I-90 between Hwy 61 near Dakota to Wisconsin border

Highway 14 – Expand Hwy 14 to four lanes between Owatonna and Dodge Center

Highway 61 – Resurface approximately 21 miles from Lake City to Hwy 42 near Kellogg

I-90 Fairmont – Resurface 16 miles of westbound I-90 from Hwy 15 in Fairmont to the Blue Earth River

Highway 60 – Repair and resurface approximately 13 miles from Hwy 4 west of St. James to Hwy 15

Highway 14/Highway 15 New Ulm Gateway – Replace New Ulm river bridge, Front Street Bridge and build interchange at Hwy 14/Hwy 15/County Road 21

Highway 63 Red Wing Bridge – Replace Hwy 63 bridges over the Mississippi River and Highway 61 and realign the approach roads

For a complete list of projects by highway, visit http://www.mndot.gov/roadwork/current.html. Project page information includes construction schedule, traffic impacts, maps, benefits and costs.

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

Watch for orange cones

Motorists may encounter lane closures or lane shifts, uneven road surfaces, equipment and other unexpected obstacles when driving near or through work zones. MnDOT advises motorists to:

Check http://www.511mn.org for up-to-date information about traffic and road conditions

Expect delays, especially during peak travel times

Minimize distractions (e.g., don’t use cell phones or eat or drink while driving)

Follow posted speed limits; fines are up to $300 in work zones

Avoid making lane changes within work zones

 

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