As Minnesota wraps up its second winter, its third and final season is set to begin, construction.
On Thursday, the Minnesota Department of Transportation reported that 230 construction projects are slated to take place this year, and 190 are strictly roads and bridge projects.
“It’s going to be another busy year. Folks can expect to see those cones and workers out improving our transportation system,” MnDOT’s director of communications and public engagement Jake Loesh said.
Of the biggest projects that Minnesotans can prepare for is the start of a two-year reconstruction of Highway 10 in Anoka, the department said.
The project will replace and repair bridges, improve traffic flow, and make travel safer for drivers and pedestrians walking or riding bikes.
Lowsh shared that the bridge repair has been a focus for the agency for a long time, and they are now making progress.
“Right now, we are at only about 2% on our interstate system and about 5% of bridges on the whole statewide, county, and local system that are in poor condition,” Loesh said. “Poor condition doesn’t mean they are unsafe. It just means that we monitor them more, we inspect them more frequently, and we know they need to be improved.”
The department estimates that roughly 660 bridges across the state need to be repaired, and federal highway officials announced a $60 million boost to assist in those repairs earlier this year.
“This year and in future years, folks can expect to see more improvements on our bridges,” Loesh said while pointing out that Minnesota bridges tend to be in better condition when compared to neighboring states.
MnDOT will also work to complete its two-year projects on I94 and I-35E in St. Paul while it starts a three-year highway 169 project in Elk River.
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Interim MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger shared that drivers need to be ready with projects starting to pop up around the metro and the state.
“As always, safety is MnDOT’s top priority – so we urge motorists to pay attention to signage in work zones, slow down, and put away distractions behind the wheel,” Daubenberger said in a press release. “Everyone, including our hardworking road and construction workers, deserves to get home safely.”
Loesh says that safety is a growing concern this year as the Minnesota State Patrol has reported Minnesotans are driving at dangerously fast speeds.
“We’ve got people out on the side of the road doing work every day,” Loesh said. “Folks in our work zone, these are hard-working road and construction workers, and they deserve to get home to their families like everyone else. We really really ask and urge drivers to drive with caution, put away distractions and make sure you’re focusing on the road.”
As the projects start to pick up, get your traffic playlists ready for the long season ahead. To plan ahead and see the full list visit the MnDOT website here.
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