Travelers are urged to use caution in work zones during July Fourth holiday

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Department of Transportation urges motorists to use extra caution while driving through highway work zones during the July Fourth holiday.

“While we shut down many projects over the Fourth of July holiday, there are still many work zones around the state that will affect travel,” said MnDOT Commissioner Charlie Zelle. “We ask drivers to pay attention in work zones, plan ahead and perhaps consider alternate routes. Check www.511mn.org to get advance information about road construction and detours.”

Highway projects that may affect weekend travel July 3-5 include:

Twin Cities area

·        Interstate 494 in Plymouth – multiple lane and ramp closures

·        I-35E in St. Paul and Little Canada – lane and ramp closures

·        Highway 5 between St. Paul and Highway 55 – lane and ramp closures

·        Highway 5 between Waconia and Victoria – road closed, detour

·        Highway 100 in St. Louis Park – ramp closures and lane shift

·        Highway 169 in Jordan – single-lane traffic in both directions, County Road 9 access closed, detour

Central Minnesota 

·        I-94 between Rogers and St. Michael – lane shift, narrow lanes and reduced speeds, expect delays

·        Highway 169 along south shore of Lake Mille Lacs – bypass lanes, traffic delays

·        Highway 10 between St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids – all lanes of traffic will be open for the weekend

West Central Minnesota 

·        Highway 12 between Atwater and Litchfield – detoured

·        Highway 12 between Kerkhoven and Pennock – detoured

Northern Minnesota   

·        Highway 2 between Cass Lake and Ball Club – lane shifts, flagging activities, some delays

·        Highway 10 in Detroit Lakes – single-lane traffic in both directions, expect delays

·        Highway 2 (Bong Bridge) between Duluth and Superior – eastbound lanes closed, detour

·        Highway 23 between Duluth and Duquette – single-lane, detour

·        Highway 70 east of I-35 – detour

·        Highway 61 south of Grand Marais – single-lane bypass

Southern Minnesota    

·        I-35 Owatonna to Albert Lea – single-lane traffic in both directions, slow traffic

·        Highway 63 south of Spring Valley to Iowa border – closed, detour

·        I-90 between St. Charles and Eyota – single-lane traffic in both directions, slow traffic

·        I-90 near Alden, Jackson and between Adrian and Rushmore – two-way, two lane traffic with crossovers, ramp closures, reduced speeds

·        Highway 59 in Marshall – short detour

For a complete list of projects, including construction dates and traffic impacts, visit www.mndot.gov/roadwork/current.html. Motorists may also sign up to receive email updates for major projects at www.mndot.gov/emailupdates.

MnDOT urges motorists to always be attentive, drive with caution, slow down in work zones and never enter a road blocked with barriers or cones.         

To learn about funding Minnesota’s transportation system, visit Get Connected at www.dot.state.mn.us/getconnected.                

Moorhead Police Summer Youth Program Registration

Registration/sign-up for the Moorhead Police Department’s Summer Youth Program will be held on Wednesday, June 17 at the Moorhead Armory (1002 15 Ave. N.) starting at 4 pm and will continue until the program is full or 7 pm.  We are only able to accommodate a total of 200 youth ages 8-12 years old, so availability is on a first-come first-serve basis.  A parent or legal guardian must accompany their child at the time of registration.

This program is free to participants thanks to grant funding through the Minnesota Youth Intervention Program Association (YIPA) by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.   Minnesota YIPA is an organization that advocates for community-based youth intervention programs.  This program provides an excellent opportunity for police officers to interact with youth and help develop strong relationships and support positive decision making. The Summer Youth Program started as an opportunity for children in the community to participate in fun activities they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to. 

The program is held every Wednesday from 12– 4 pm (or later on some weeks) for 7 weeks in the summer and targets all youth in the community who are available to attend each week.  Each afternoon consists of lunch, an educational component and a recreational activity including roller skating, bowling, Thunder Road Amusement Park, swimming and more!

Youth Services Coordinator Louis Ochoa and School Resource Officer Brian Dahl are the coordinators for this program and can be contacted at 218.790.4054 or 218.790.4259 if you have any questions.

See the 2015 Schedule of Events for all the details.  Media outlets are welcome and invited to come to registration or to stop by any Wednesday to see first-hand how exciting and successful this program has become!

Hwy 75 & 15th Avenue North intersection in Moorhead becomes a four-way stop June 15

DETROIT LAKES, Minn. – Motorists traveling on Highway 75 will be required to stop at 15^th Avenue North in Moorhead beginning Monday, June 15.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is converting the intersection from a two-way to a four-way stop. The stop signs on Highway 75 will be enhanced with flashing lights.

                                                                                                                             

Temporary message boards will alert motorists to the change in advance of the intersection.

With the toll removed from the 15^th Avenue bridge across the Red River, traffic volumes now meet the criteria for a traffic signal at Highway 75 and 15^th Avenue. The four-way stop will act as an interim measure to improve safety until the signal system can be designed and constructed. It is currently scheduled to be installed in 2018.

To learn more about funding Minnesota’s transportation system, visit Get Connected at www.dot.state.mn.us/getconnected.

For real-time travel information anywhere in Minnesota, visit www.511mn.org or dial 5-1-1.

Rehabilition On ND 200A Near Hillsboro Begins Monday

FARGO, N.D. (June 5, 2015) – Beginning Monday, June 8, North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) Fargo District will start project work on North Dakota Highway 200A (ND 200A) near Hillsboro, N.D. Crews will work to install a concrete box culvert. The overall project will improve driving conditions and increase the load carrying capacity.

Traffic will be diverted along a 1000-ft, two-lane gravel roadway on the north side of ND 200A while crews install the concrete box culvert and finish surfacing with mill and overlays over the next 11 weeks, weather permitting. Speeds in the diversion will be significantly reduced to 25 mph.

Motorists, especially truckers, are encouraged to slow down and obey signs and flaggers when using the gravel bypass.

Project work is expected to be complete by mid-to-late September in time for sugar beet harvest when truck traffic will be heavier.