After three summers closed and chronic flooding, Highway 93 reopens
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State Highway 93 near Henderson reopened to drivers after it was closed for the last three summers. The construction project addressed what people call “a generational problem” of flooding that would shut down the roadway for days at a time.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday on the new overflow bridge over the Rush River. State law makers, local officials and residents attended the event to celebrate with a classic car roll-in that typically takes place in Henderson during summers.
A steady line of classic cars traversed the newly constructed Highway 93. Tom Graham, 77, has lived in Henderson his entire life. He drove a 1950 Studebaker down the highway to celebrate the construction project's long awaited finish.
“I lived out on the scenic byway, so we went through a lot of floods,” Graham said. “The last one we went through, I was flooded out. [I] couldn’t get to my home. I lived in my motorhome for two weeks. … This [road project] is really going to make a good deal for the city of Henderson, and hopefully we won’t be flooded in again.”
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The project was complex because Highway 93 runs along the Minnesota River and is surrounded by swampy backwaters and wetlands. It also crosses over the Rush River in an area of marshy estuaries. Raising a roadway is considered an uncommon geotechnical engineering project due to the challenges posed by poor soil conditions and being in a floodplain.
Over 3,500 pilings were installed, and the project involved 170 Olympic pools worth of embankment and fill material. MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger said without state, local and tribal partners, the project wouldn’t have been possible.
“This project exemplifies MNDOT’s work to maintain a statewide transportation system that’s resilient, safe and helps Minnesotans get to where they’re going,” Daubenberger said. “Minnesota has one of America's largest roadway systems, and because of investments in projects like this one, it is one of America's best.”
The $32.5 million project also included reconstructing a three-and-a-half-mile roadway and replacing the Rush River Bridge. It also involved constructing an overflow bridge.
In the past, when it would flood, the highway would be shut down for days, making it difficult for first responders to access Henderson in cases of emergency. In 2019, Highway 93 was closed for a total of 60 days. In 2020, there were five separate closures because of flooding, according to MnDOT.
Amy Hardel, acting mayor for Henderson, said the project was a long time coming for residents and drivers along the corridor.
“This challenging project, and with great engineering from MnDOT, we have a permanent solution to a generational problem,” Hardel said during the ribbon cutting ceremony. “We live in the beautiful Minnesota River Valley, and we need to preserve the natural habitat, the wildlife, and the Minnesota River. Projects of this scale, advocacy, and a lot of hard work.”
