Road construction: 193 projects on tap for 2024 season
This summer’s most fashionable color will be orange. Again.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has 193 road and bridge construction projects on tap for this spring, summer and fall in pretty much every corner of the state: Edina, East Grand Forks, Duluth, Litchfield, Minneapolis, Monticello and lots of other spots.
“Drivers throughout Minnesota can expect to see more work zones, more orange cones, more closed lanes, and more people working along the road wearing their high-visibility gear,” said Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger. “We need everyone on the road to work together to keep our crews, and yourselves, safe in work zones.”
Among the biggest projects are replacing and repairing bridges on I-494 between Edina and Richfield, pavement improvements on Highway 36 between Roseville and Little Canada, and a three-year effort to shore up the historic Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis.
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In Greater Minnesota, MnDOT will be improving the 11th Street underpass in Moorhead, reconstructing Highway 220 north of East Grand Forks, resurfacing the Highway 25 bridge over the Mississippi River in Monticello, and making several improvements to the I-90/Highway 52 interchange southeast of Rochester.
Drivers are urged to obey posted speed limits in work zones and use the zipper merge when nearing a construction zone.
“The concept is really simple,” said J.P. Gillach, a MnDOT spokesperson, of the zipper merge. “It’s what you learned in kindergarten, right? Take turns [merging] as you go into a work zone.”
A few additional safety reminders:
Drive undistracted. Avoid using cell phones, mobile devices, adjusting the radio – even eating – while in work zones.
Move over. Give workers room to safely complete their work.
Know before you go. Get real-time information about traffic and road conditions at www.511mn.org or get the free 511mn smartphone app at Google Play or the App Store.
Be patient. Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
Avoid making unnecessary lane changes.
Never enter a road blocked with barriers or cones.