Orange cone season nears: MnDOT unveils 2019 road, bridge projects
State officials on Thursday detailed 221 road and bridge projects they'll take on this year across Minnesota, including work on Interstate 35W in the Twin Cities and along Interstate 94 in central Minnesota.
Some of the projects are underway already. Signs on lane closures will be going up soon on others. Officials said the projects would boost safety while supporting thousands of construction jobs across the state.
Transportation Commissioner Margaret Anderson Kelliher also made a pitch for more money from the Legislature, saying the long-term funding picture remained bleak compared to the state's needs.
Here's a look at some of this year's projects across Minnesota. MnDOT has the complete list posted on its website.
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Twin Cities
• I-35W Minnesota River Bridge replacement. Replace bridge and pavement between Cliff Road and 106th Street; raise I-35W out of the floodplain and improve pedestrian access across the river
• I-35W Downtown to Crosstown. Replace and improve bridges and pavement from 46th Street to 11th Avenue
• Interstate 35 split in Forest Lake. Repave six miles from just south of the I-35 split to north of Highway 8; repair three bridges
Northern Minnesota
• I-35. Construct four bridges at Snake River at Highway 70 and County Road 7 near Pine City; resurface 7 miles
• Highway 65 Aitkin/Itasca counties. Resurface 25 miles from Highway 200 to Highway 169 near Pengilly
• Highway 75. "Urban reconstruct" and flood mitigation in Hendrum and Halstad
Central Minnesota
• I-94, Alexandria to Garfield. Resurface 6 miles; replace eastbound I-94 bridge over Lake Latoka
• I-94, Monticello. Reconstruct and improve 14 miles in Monticello from Highway 25 to Highway 24
• Highway 10, Wadena. Reconstruct and widen Highway 10 through Wadena business district; resurface from Bluffton to Oink Joint Road.
Southern Minnesota
• Highway 14, Tracy. Resurface 13 miles from 4th Street in Tracy to County Road 7 in Revere; repair culverts and guardrail
• Interstate 90. Repair bridges at 12 locations between St. Charles and Nodine
• Highway 63 Red Wing. Replace Highway 63 bridges over the Mississippi River and Highway 61; realign approach roads