MNDOT Wraps Up 2016 Summer Road Construction Season

It's time to pull the orange cones off the highways!  Officials with the Minnesota Department of Transportation are lauding the work completed this past summer as the 2016 road construction season comes to an end - for the most part.

More than 246 projects were on the schedule this summer, with some of the work ranking as some of the biggest (and consequently, most expensive) in the history of the state.  Included as part of the work is the $156 million Highway 53 Relocation Project on the Iron Range - a work site that will wrap up in November 2017.

You can get details about all of the projects around the state by clicking here.  Here are some of the highlights in Northern Minnesota:

• Highway 53 Relocation/Iron Range:  The heavy-lifting on this project will continue into January, with beams being put into place.  Bridge deck work will commence in the spring - with a full slate of work on the boards for this next summer.
• I-35 Pine County Resurfacing and Bridge Replacement:  A $27 million project was condensed into one season - instead of the projected two - to alleviate effects on traffic.
• Highway 217 Resurfaces and Bridge Replacement:  This project - just south of International Falls - repaired the bridge at the Rat Root River and resurfaced 17 miles of highway.
• I-94/Highway 75 in Moorhead:  MNDOT crews added auxiliary lanes on I-94 and reconstructed the existing interchange into a diverging diamond configuration.
• Highway 85 near Kent:  The new alilgnment removed the roadway from the flood plain and eliminated a low-clearance railroad bridge.  MNDOT crews also constructed a new bridge over Whiskey Creek - replacing the old one which had weight restrictions.
• Highway 11 in Baudette:  The work here modernized city utilities, improved drainage, enhanced pedestrian safety, and extended the life of pavement and the Bay Bridge deck.

To see what MNDOT has in store for 2017, click here.