Southwest Minnesota culvert repair project gets underway this April

WILLMAR, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Transportation announces that a culvert repair project in southwest Minnesota gets underway in early April. MnDOT will make repairs to more than 130 culverts on highways in Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Redwood, Renville and Yellow Medicine counties.

Crews will begin by clearing vegetation from state right of way that could impede work. Culvert repairs will begin in mid-May and depending on the location, could include:

Placing plastic liners inside existing pipes
Fixing separated joints between pipe sections on larger concrete culverts
Replacing unrepairable culverts
Placing riprap to repair and prevent erosion
Cleaning ditches adjacent to culverts

Travel impacts

Five locations require a closure/detour during repairs:

Highway 68 west of Canby
Chippewa County Road 14 south of Watson
Highway 68 between Milroy and Wabasso, near Lucan
Redwood County Road 5 between Milroy and Wabasso
Third Street in Prinsburg

Detour maps are available on the project website
Each detour will be in place separately for about two weeks
Although work at most locations will take place off the roadway, drivers may encounter temporary shoulder and lane closures
Flaggers may be present at some locations
Travelers are asked to slow down in project areas and be alert for workers and heavy equipment

Work at each section will take about two weeks before crews move to the next section. When a section requires a detour, the public will be notified via news release, message boards placed on the roadway near the work location, on the project website, and on 511mn.org .
The project is expected to be completed by Aug. 29. The work schedule is subject to change depending on weather and other unforeseeable circumstances.
Subsurface, Inc., is the contractor for the project, and the project cost is approximately $5.1 million.

Stay connected

Learn more about the culvert repair project at mndot.gov/d8/projects/districtwide-culverts
Join the Southwest Minnesota Facebook group for news, events, and updates
Follow us on Twitter @MnDOTsouthwest for news, events, and updates
For real-time traffic and travel information in Minnesota, visit www.511mn.org or get the free smartphone app at Google Play or the App Store

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