Rochester Today – Get Ready for a Busy Road Construction Season

MNDOT Mike provided a preview of the major state highway and bridge projects that are scheduled this summer in the Rochester area during his monthly appearance on Rochester Today with Andy Brownell.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation will be officially releasing a list of about $1 billion worth of projects scheduled statewide during an event on Thursday, but MNDOT District 6 spokesman Mike Dougherty gave KROC-AM a sneak peek Wednesday morning.

The most disruptive project in the Rochester area this summer will be the resurfacing of Highway 63 from near Walmart South to just past the Rochester Airport starting in May. Traffic will be limited to one lane in each direction at times as crews refurbish the asphalt surface of the busy roadway. Motorists will also see traffic disruptions near the Rochester Airport starting in July when work begins on a new interchange at Olmsted County Road 16.

To the east, work will begin soon on the new roundabout intersection on a Highway 14 at Highway 42 in Eyota that will detour traffic onto County Road 9. Once the roundabout is complete, crews will begin resurfacing Highway 42 from Eyota to Plainview.

There also be a resurfacing project this summer on Highway 14 to the west of Dodge Center to near Owatonna. That project could cause significant delays because flagmen will be directing traffic, which will only be allowed to move one direction at a time in the areas where the work is actually being done. Crews will also be continuing work on the expansion of Highway 14 to four lanes on a 2 mile stretch of the road just east of Owatonna. MNDOT is also starting the process of acquiring the property needed for the realignment and expansion of the 13 mile section of Highway 14 from Owatonna to Dodge Center.

Dougherty says the list of MNDOT projects this summer also includes converting the lighting on Highway 52 through Rochester to long-lasting, highly efficient LED lights. He noted the bids for that project came in low enough that MNDOT will also have enough money to install LED lighting on I-35 in and south of Owatonna.

Listened to the entire show by clicking on the play button below.