Orange cone season ahead: MnDOT rolls out $1.1B in roadwork for 2018
Yes, you may still be waist-deep in snow, but it's time to start thinking about warm-weather road construction delays.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation on Wednesday unveiled $1.1 billion in state road and bridge projects for 2018, including the replacement of the iconic Mississippi River bridge at Red Wing and a resurfacing a stretch of Interstate 35 in the north metro.
Many of the 253 projects are already underway and represent "critical investments in Minnesota's aging transportation system," said MnDOT Commissioner Charlie Zelle, who also announced 49 airport, port and railroad projects worth $32 million.
Despite road and bridge spending topping $1 billion this season, he said the long-term transportation funding picture "remains bleak compared to the system's needs."
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Here's a quick look at some of what's planned this year. Find the complete list on MnDOT's website.
Twin Cities metro area
• Interstate 35W@94: Upgrade infrastructure, improve transit service on I-35W and Lake Street
• U.S. Highway 169 Belle Plaine: Repair or replace concrete pavement, construct a "reduced conflict intersection" and install cable median barrier between Jordan and Belle Plaine
• I-35 north metro split: Resurface six miles of interstate from just south of the I-35 split at Forest Lake to a half mile north of Highway 8 and replace three bridges
North
• Highway 61 Two Harbors: Replace signals, add turn lanes, resurface highway, make sidewalk and accessibility improvements
• Pine County: Construct two new bridges at Snake River and resurface seven miles of I-35
• Minnesota Highway 2, East Grand Forks: Replace bridge Kennedy Bridge deck
Central
• U.S. Highway 10, Elk River bridge: Reconstruct the bridge over Lake Orono and resurface road west of Joplin
• U.S. Highway 71 north in Kandiyohi County: Resurface highway, construct turning and bypass lanes, and construct a pedestrian underpass
• Highway 10, Big Lake to Clear Lake: Reconstruct 14 miles of eastbound road surface, including shoulders, and add "reduced conflict intersection" at County Road 23 in Becker
South
• Red Wing Bridge: Replace Highway 63 bridges over the Mississippi River and Highway 61 and realign the approach roads
• New Ulm Gateway: Replace New Ulm river bridge, Front Street Bridge and build interchange at Highway 14/Highway 15/County Road 21
• Minnesota Highway 60 Windom to St. James: Complete four-lane expansion