I-35 in Faribault and Highway 14 near Owatonna were included in a list of more than 250 road and bridge upgrades announced recently by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Funding for the repairs was made possible by Senate Republicans’ 2017 comprehensive transportation package, which reallocated existing revenue to add $300 million in permanent, ongoing funding for roads and bridges without raising gas taxes or license tab fees. The bill also included specific funding for town roads, small cities assistance, and local bridge replacement and rehabilitation.

“One of the reasons I ran for office was because I was fed up with the legislature’s inaction on transportation,” said Senator John Jasinski (R-Faribault), vice chair of the Transportation Committee. “For years, funding for roads and bridges was bogged down in partisan fights about gas taxes and tab fee increases, and regular Minnesotans paid the price. Last year we made roads and bridges a priority, and now we are seeing results.”

The following projects are slated to receive funding.

Hwy 14 and I-35 — Steele County near Owatonna
Description: Replace 10 bridges and reconstruct short segment of Hwy 14
Construction dates: April 2017-Fall 2018
Traffic impacts: Lane closures
More information: http://www.mndot.gov/d6/projects/steelecty-bridge/

I-35 — Faribault
Description: Concrete overlay of southbound I-35 from north of Rice Couty 9 to south of Highway 21
Construction dates: July to October 2018
Traffic impacts: Traffic to exit at southbound Exit 59 will be detoured during the work. Southbound traffic will be diverted onto the northbound lanes with traffic traveling in both directions on I-35 in the northbound lanes during the project.
More information: http://www.mndot.gov/d6/projects/i35-concreteoverlay/
Click here to sign up for updates on this project.

 

For a full list of statewide projects, click here.