That's a wrap! The Minnesota Department of Transportation is calling the 2022 summer road construction season officially over as winter weather starts to roll in across the state.  While some projects will remain with open and active work zones through the winter season (like the Twin Ports Interchange Project locally), most construction will be halted until spring.

It was a busy season all the way around. Statewide, the transportation agency "advanced or completed 258 road and bridge projects".  Many of those has major impacts for the metro area but MNDOT was pretty busy in the Northland as well.

Some of the larger projects that were completed include the end of the four-year project to improve I-94 between Maple Grove and Clearwater.  MNDOT was also able to make improvements to I-94/35E near downtown St. Paul; they completed 12 miles of work on Highway 36 between Little Canada and Stillwater; improved nine intersections and resurfaced Highway 71 in Bemidji; and resurfaced 13 miles of I-90 between the South Dakota border and Beaver Creek in southwestern Minnesota.

The improvements made will have widespread impacts for most Minnesota drivers. And, the agency knows that the improvements don't happen within a vacuum; it takes cooperation.  MNDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger explains:

"This year's robust road construction season significantly improved Minnesota's transportation system with new roads, bridges, safer intersections, and improved accessibility for people who walk, bike, or roll to their local destinations.  With traffic volumes back to pre-pandemic levels, we thank Minnesotans for their patience with our road construction projects and slowing down in work zones to keep highway workers safe."

Here's a summary of some of those completed projects in northern Minnesota - MNDOT's District's 1 and 2:

  • Highway 194 in Hermantown:  Completed intersection safety improvements in Hermantown, including Highway 53/194 and a roundabout at Highway 194/Midway Road.  The project also resurfaced Highway 194.
  • I-35 in Barnum:  Resurfaced 6.5 miles of northbound I-15 near Barnum.
  • Highway 37 in Iron Junction:  Installed a new roundabout at Highway 37/St. Louis County Road 7 south of Iron Junction along the "Iron Range Shortcut".
  • Highway 71 in Bemidji:  Resurfaced Highway 71 between Highway 197 and Winter Sumac Road, constructed a new roundabout at Highway 71/Anne Street, and made intersection improvements at nine locations along the corridor.
  • Highway 75 and 175 in Hallock:  Resurfaced and improved accessibility along both highways.
  • Highway 92 north of Zerkel:  Resurfaced and widened shoulders on Highway 92 between Clearwater County Road 35 and Highway 200.
  • Highway 2 in Fosston:  Restriped to switch from a four-lane to a three-lane section.  The three-lane restripe will be in place until the corridor is scheduled for reconstruction.

A complete rundown of all of the road construction projects that MNDOT worked on over the past summer, the currently open and active work zones, and all of the work coordinated by the state agency, visit their website.  You'll also find current real-time road condition reports.

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