MnDOT begins Highway 12 construction April 27
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Transportation will launch a $9.4 million construction project on Highway 12 through Howard Lake, Waverly and Montrose. Crews will work from April 27 to mid-October 2025 to rebuild, resurface and improve pedestrian features along the highway.
Work starts in Howard Lake on April 27, continues in Waverly in mid-May and begins in Montrose in mid-July. Crews will return to all three cities in the fall to apply the final road surface and permanent markings.
Howard Lake timeline
April 27 to May 3
- Crews will close Highway 12 overnights between 10th Avenue and Seventh Avenue (Wright County Road 6) from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Motorists will follow detour signs along 10th Avenue, Seventh Street and Seventh Avenue (about five blocks).
- Workers will excavate and replace pipes beneath the road.
May 5 to mid-July
- Highway 12 will stay open with one lane in each direction from west of 13th Avenue to east of Sixth Avenue.
- Drivers should expect narrow lanes, lane shifts, gravel surfaces and flaggers directing traffic. Shoulders and turn lanes will close temporarily.
- Crews will work mostly between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Crews will pave Highway 12 with new asphalt, repair curbs, gutters and entrances, and upgrade sidewalks and ramps. In downtown Howard Lake, they will widen sidewalks and update crosswalk signals.
MnDOT will provide updates as work progresses to Waverly and Montrose.
When complete in mid-October, the project will create smoother roads and improve safety for drivers and pedestrians on Highway 12.
Stay informed
- Visit MnDOT’s Highway 12 project page for maps, contacts and sign up for project email updates.
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