Construction Season Begins, Headaches To Follow
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - When the weather warms up, you know two things are on the horizon: Mosquitos and construction. Both are on target to begin soon.
Brent Hamilton uses 35E each day to deliver medical supplies.
"Every summer, some road, somewhere, is getting fixed," Hamilton said.
A long section of 35E will be one of the biggest projects in the metro area. Starting this Friday night, 35E in both directions will be shut down for a month between County Road 42 and the 35E/35W split.
Parts of 35W will also be shut down for a day while crews remove a bridge deck.
Once that project is finished in June, both sides of 35E will go to single lanes from Cliff Road to the 35E/35W split from one month.
In August, both sides of 35E from the 35E/35W split to County Road 2 in Elko New Market will go to single lanes for a month in August.
Keith Kimmel lives in Elko New Market and works in St. Paul. He already has a detour plan in place.
"I'm thinking Cedar. I'm hoping that works. We'll have to try it and see what happens," Kimmel said.
MnDOT's Kirsten Klein says drivers should expect delays in the construction areas.
"It's kind of like putting a roof on your house, that needs to be done," Klein said. "And you've got to keep that upkeep to your house in order for it to last a long time."
In addition to the 35 and 35E work starting in May, there's an extension of the current construction project already on 694. Starting in June, 694 between 35W and Highway 100 will go to single lanes for a month. Two lanes will be available during peak times.
For three weeks this summer, 169 will also go single lanes from Pioneer Tail across the Bloomington Ferry Bridge.
For most Minnesotans, it's considered a necessary evil.
"I put up with it as long as the roads are great," Kimmel said.
For more information about all of these projects or to sign up for email alerts from MnDOT, click here to visit MnDOT's construction webpage.
