U.S. Highway 71 projects to begin June 7 in Willmar

WILLMAR — Multiple roadway and safety improvements projects will be started June 7 on U.S. Highway 71 in Willmar, according to a news release from the Minnesota Department of Transportation District 8.

The work zone will be from Kandiyohi County Road 24 to Kandiyohi County Road 27. Travelers should allow for extra travel time through the zone throughout the summer.

Traffic headed both northbound and southbound will be reduced to a single lane. The various projects will cause additional traffic impacts including road closures. Neighborhoods with only one access point along the construction zone will always have access, and County Road 24 and 25 will not be closed at the same time.

Information on all the projects can be found on the MnDOT District 8 website .

A J-turn will be constructed at US 71 and County Road 90, to address severe crashes and to make it safer for vehicles to cross and merge in the intersection. Temporary detours will be in place during the J-turn construction.

Additional concrete work will be done in the same area, including a concrete walkway between the north and southbound lanes and a raised median to separate the eastbound and westbound lanes on County County 90, on both sides of the intersection.

Median construction will be completed at 41st Avenue, which will require the closure of the 41st Avenue and US 71 intersection for two weeks.

A culvert replacement on 48th Avenue will close that intersection with US 71 for one day.

There will also be safety improvements at County Road 24, such as a U-turn north of the J-turn, a left-turn lane leading into the J-turn and a concrete walkway will be constructed between the northbound and southbound lanes to connect the walking path on 23rd Street Northeast.

Pavement maintenance will also be done in the southbound land from north of Point Lake to the far south of Willmar Lake. Traffic will be detoured.

The entire scope of work is estimated to cost $2.5 million and be completed by Sept. 17, weather permitting. The contractor is Duininck Inc . of Prinsburg.