By Tim Engstrom and Sarah Stultz

Several significant road projects are slated this summer on major thoroughfares in the area.

Most notable for Freeborn County residents will be a much-anticipated bituminous overlay of U.S. highways 65 and 69 from the Iowa border into Albert Lea.

Also to take place is downtown Albert Lea’s Broadway infrastructure and streetscape project, which will reconstruct the street, sidewalk, utilities and other amenities on Broadway from Main Street to Fountain Street.

The following is a complete list of the area’s summer street projects:

 

Albert Lea street projects

Broadway Avenue streetscape

• Street, sidewalk and underground utility

reconstruction, streetscape improvements

• From Fountain Street to Main Street

• May to Oct. 15

• Broadway from Fountain Street to Clark Street closed for periods from May 1 to July 4, Broadway from Clark Street to Main Street closed for periods from July 4 to October, detour on Fountain Street from May 1 to July 4

• $4,080,000 estimated, contract not yet awarded

 

West Ninth Street

• Bituminous mill and overlay from Fourth Avenue to Freeborn County Road 18, reconstruction from Fourth Avenue to U.S. Highway 69

• From U.S. Highway 69 to Freeborn County Road 18

• July to September

• Open to traffic most days

• $731,000 estimated, contract not yet awarded

 

Neighborhood improvement project

• Bituminous mill and overlay, curb replacement

• Garden Road from Richway Drive to Willamor Road, Meredith Road from Garden Road to Ridge Road, Cardinal Lane from Richway Drive to Martin Road, Ridge Road from Meredith Road to Garden Road, Ridge Circle from Ridge Road to the cul-de-sac, Robin Road from Ridge Road to Lake Shore Drive, Willamor Road from Garden Road to Channel Road, Willamor Circle from Willamor Road to the cul-de-sac, Channel Road from The Fairway to Lake Shore Drive, Sherwood Avenue from Johnson Street to State Street, State Street from Sherwood Avenue to Wayside Avenue, Wayside Avenue from State Street to Stevens Street, Morningside Road from Stevens Street to East Main Street, Rezin Avenue from the frontage road to S.E. Marshall Street, Consul Street from Rezin Avenue to 500 feet east of Prospect Avenue

• Late May to Aug. 30

• Open to traffic most days

• $1,184,000 estimated, contract not yet awarded

 

State aid street overlay project

• Bituminous mill and overlay, some sidewalk installation

• Fourth Avenue from West Ninth Street to Front Street, sidewalk on Fourth Avenue from Plainview to Front Street

• Late May to Aug. 30

• Open to traffic most days

• $345,000 estimated, contract not yet awarded

 

Sunset Street

• Grading and gravel surface installation

• Extend Sunset Street from Lake Chapeau neighborhood

• Summer

• No traffic delays

• $100,000 estimated, contract not yet awarded

 

U.S. Highway 69

• Sidewalk installation

• East side of road from Ninth Street to Plainview Lane

• Summer

• No traffic delays

• $150,000 (shared city and state cost)

 

Freeborn County road projects

All projects take place between May and September. Most contracts will be awarded April 2, and the county doesn’t release estimates prior to bidding.

 

County Road 5

• Pavement rehabilitation

• 6 miles, County 18 to U.S. 65

 

County Road 12

• Surfacing

• 3 miles, County 17 to County 46

 

County Road 22

• Bituminous base, tile

and shoulder

• 2.8 miles, Plaza Street to County 25

 

County Road 26

• Pavement rehabilitation

• 6 miles, County 13 to County 46

 

County Road 29

• Shoulder paving with rumbles

• 3.5 miles, County 9 to Highway 13

 

County Road 34

• Shoulder paving with rumbles

• 7.5 miles, County 46 to Highway 251

 

County Road 45

• Shoulder paving with rumbles

• 4 miles, Highway 251 to Geneva

 

County Road 4

• Replace bridge over Steward Creek

• Alden Township, Section 26

 

County Road 4

• Replace bridge over Lime Creek

• Mansfield Township, Section 36

 

County Road 9

• Replace bridge over Steward Creek

• Nunda Township, Section 18

 

County Road 25

• Replace bridge over drainage ditch

• Riceland Township, Section 13

 

County Road 33

• Replace bridge over drainage ditch

• Hartland Township, Section 19

 

County Road 33

• Replace bridge over Big Cobb River

• Freeborn Township, Section 19

 

County Road 34

• Replace bridge over Woodbury Creek

• Oakland Township, Section 35

 

County Road 79

• Replace bridge over Goose Creek

• Freeman Township, Section 36

 

Minnesota state highway projects

Projects in Freeborn County and around the region

 

U.S. Highway 65

• Bituminous mill and overlay

• 9 miles, from Iowa border to Interstate 35

• May to October

• Lane closures with flaggers

• $2,248,594, Ulland Brothers

 

U.S. Highway 69

• Bituminous mill and overlay

• 13 miles, from Iowa border to Highway 13

• July to September

• Lane closures with flaggers

• $4,923,803, Ulland Brothers

 

Minnesota Highway 30

• Bituminous mill and overlay

• 19 miles, from U.S. 56 to U.S. 63

• August to October

• Lane closures with flaggers, two short-term detours

• $5,026,105, Rochester Sand & Gravel

 

Minnesota Highway 3

• Bituminous mill and overlay

• 13 miles, from Faribault to Northfield

• May to June

• Lane closures with flaggers

• $3,934,049, Hardrivers Inc.

 

Minnesota Highway 19

• Bituminous overlay

• 14 miles, from Highway 3 to Cannon Falls

• August to October

• Lane closures with flaggers, one short-term detour

• $4,183,427, Crane Creek Asphalt

 

Minnesota Highway 21

• Bituminous mill and overlay

• 3 miles, from Highway 21 to Highway 60

• July to October

• Lane closures with flaggers, tied in with bridge replacement over Crocker’s Creek in Faribault

• Estimated $1.8 million

 

Minnesota Highway 60

• Replace bridge

• Over Crocker’s Creek in Faribault

• July to October

• Lane closures with flaggers, with a three-week detour

• Estimated $3 million

 

Interstate 35

• Install Intelligent Transportation System devices

• Various locations along 16 miles in Rice County

• March to September

• Minimal traffic impacts

• Estimated $1.2 million

 

Interstate 35

• Bituminous mill and overlay

• 16 miles, from Faribault to Owatonna

• July to October

• Daily lane closures with flaggers

• Estimated $10 million

 

Interstate 90

• Concrete pavement rehabilitation

• 19 miles, from Highway 105 to Mower County 19

• March to June

• Long-term lane closures

• $7,645,369, PCI Roads

 

Interstate 90

• Concrete pavement rehabilitation

• 8 miles, Dexter to Mower County 1

• July to November

• Long-term lane closures

• Estimated $2 million

 

Minnesota Highway 13

• Resurface roadway

• 1.6 miles, in Waseca, Third Avenue NE to Waseca County 5

• June to July

• Lane closures with flaggers

• $1,134,708, Crane Creek Asphalt

 

Minnesota Highway 14

• Landscaping at interchanges

• 13 miles, Waseca to Owatonna

• April to June

• No traffic impacts

• $148,861, Erosion Control Inc.

 

U.S. Highway 169

• Reconstruction with roundabouts

• 3.5 miles, in Blue Earth, from 14th Street to Faribault County 6

• May to October

• Detours

• Estimated $10.4 million

 

U.S. Highway 169

• Resurface

• 1.4 miles, from Interstate 90 to Faribault County 6

• September to November

• Lane closures with flaggers

• Estimated $850,000