MnDOT announces road construction projects for year

WILLMAR - The more than 300 road construction projects announced Thursday by the State Department of Transportation include projects that will impact travel around Willmar and west central Minnesota this summer.
According to MnDOT, the $1.1 billion construction program of 308 projects includes work on 74 projects in the Twin Cities and 194 projects in Greater Minnesota. An additional 40 projects statewide will improve safety at railroad crossings, and make improvements on runways and terminals at regional airports.
The work includes projects funded by the Corridors of Commerce program, a bonding effort aimed at improving roadways for freight travel.
Work in and around Willmar includes construction of a right-turn lane along U.S. Highway 12 at Seventh Street, reconstruction of the Highway 12 bridge over the Highway 23 bypass and resurfacing of Highway 12 between Pennock and Willmar.
Forty miles of State Highway 40, between Kandiyohi County Road 5 and State Highways 7 and 59, will be resurfaced. State Highway 24 from Litchfield to State Highway 15, a total of 16 miles, will be resurfaced.
Projects on U.S. Highway 212 include resurfacing between Dawson and U.S. Highway 59 and replacement of signs west of Granite Falls. The Highway 7 bridge over the Chippewa River in Montevideo will be reconstructed.
Highway 55 between Highways 4 and 22 in Eden Valley will be resurfaced, along with Highway 7 between Cosmos and Hutchinson. Highway 67 will be resurfaced between Yellow Medicine County Road 81 and Echo.
The state, with $2 million in funding from the Upper Sioux Community, will rebuild and realign Highway 274 south of Granite Falls.
“Hundreds of road and bridge improvements getting underway this spring and summer will support Minnesota’s growing economy, improve our quality of life and create thousands of good-paying jobs all over our state,” said Governor Mark Dayton in a press release. “I thank the dedicated construction workers and engineers who are doing this important work, and urge Minnesotans to drive safely in construction zones this season.”