Thursday, May 25, 2017

MnDOT Urges Caution in Work Zones Memorial Day Weekend



ST. PAUL, Minn. – With summer road construction in full swing, the Minnesota Department of Transportation urges motorists to plan ahead before traveling during Memorial Day weekend and use extra care while driving through highway work zones.

“MnDOT will suspend work on most projects during the holiday weekend,” said Commissioner Charlie Zelle. “However, the work zones are still in place. To prevent crashes, drivers need to slow down, pay attention and not follow other vehicles too closely when approaching and traveling through work zones.”

Motorists may encounter bypasses, lane closures and detours. MnDOT recommends that motorists be prepared for slower moving traffic, think about alternate routes, and call 5-1-1 or go to www.511mn.org to get information about road construction detours. 

Highway projects that may affect weekend travel May 26-29 include:
Twin Cities
·         Interstate 94 between St. Paul and Maplewood – lane closures and ramp closures
·         I-94 between Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center – lane closures and slow traffic
·         Highway 169 Golden Valley to Edina – detour
·         I-694 between Arden Hills and Vadnais Heights – two lanes in each direction, eastbound lanes separated by concrete median barrier

Central Minnesota
·         Highway 25 Foley – detour
·         Highway 27 closed west of Osakis over I-94 – detour
·         Highway 71 closed in Elrosa – detour
·         Highway 238 Albany to Upsala – detour
·         Highway 371 Nisswa to Jenkins – two way traffic, shoulder closures, County Road 16 detour

Northern Minnesota
·         Hwy 1/Hwy169 Eagles Nest project – lane closures, flaggers
·         Highway 10 in Detroit Lakes – lane closures
·         I-35 northern Pine County and southern Carlton County – traffic restricted to one lane in each direction
·         I-35 over Hwy 61 in Carlton County – traffic restricted to one lane in each direction
·         Highway 53 relocation project in Virginia – single lane in each direction
·         Hwy 61 in Beaver Bay – single lane traffic in each direction
·         Hwy 169, Hwy 37 in Hibbing – bypass construction and lane closures

West central Minnesota
·         Highway 4 Cosmos – detour
·         Highway 22 Litchfield – detour

Southern Minnesota
·         Highway 22 Mapleton to Blue Earth CR 15 detour
·         Highway 52 between Rochester and Rosemount – lane closures
·         I-35 bridge replacements south of Owatonna – single lane in each direction
·         I-90 between Sherburn and Fairmont – lane and speed restrictions

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