I 35 Construction Announcement

The Minnesota Department of Transportation made this announcement on June 1, 2009

Contact: Kristine Hernandez

wk: 507-286-7601; cell: 507-273-0677

Kristine.Hernandez@dot.state.mn.us

Contact: Krystal Ohlhaber

wk: 507-286-7684; cell: 507-259-4063

krystal.ohlhaber@dot.state.mn.us

Southbound Interstate 35 from Highway 60 to Medford will close on June 6

ROCHESTER, Minn. – Motorists will encounter detours when a section of southbound Interstate 35 between Highway 60 and Medford closes on Saturday, June 6 from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. as crews begin repairing the bridge over the interstate on Rice County Road 39.

Southbound Rice County Road 48 (Lyndale Ave.) will also be closed just before the ramp to southbound I-35.

Motorists should follow the posted detour route:

Motorists will exit southbound I-35 at the Highway 60 ramp,
Turn left at Highway 60 (exit ramp intersection) and proceed west on Highway 60,
Turn left at Rice County State Highway 17 and proceed south into Steele County (Rice County Road 17 will become Steele County Road 11),
Turn left at Steele County Road 23 and proceed east and then south to the Medford roundabout intersection at I-35
Turn right at the roundabout and exit back to southbound I-35

There will be flaggers at all intersections along the detour route to direct traffic.

While the repairs on the Rice County Road 39 bridge are expected to take four weeks, this section of I-35 will only be closed for one day to allow crews to complete demolition of the damaged span and erect the new beams. The second bridge span was damaged from a crash in early May.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation urges motorists to always drive with caution, slow down in work zones and never enter a roadway that has been blocked with barriers or cones.

For statewide travel information visit www.511mn.org, call 5-1-1 or log on to www.mndot.gov.

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