Motorists on Highway 14 between Dodge Center and Owatonna will experience delays beginning July 6 when a mill and overlay project starts, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The $4.1 million project will involve delays for motorists while Ulland Brothers Inc., the prime contractor, is working. The project length is about 13 miles and will begin near the railroad crossing of Highway 14 at Steele County Road 180 and work east past Claremont. The stretch of Highway 14 between Highway 218 and Interstate 35 in Owatonna is also part of the project.

Completion is expected in late August.

Highway 14 eastbound and westbound ramps at Steele County Road 45 will be closed for 15 days during the project.

When the mill and overlay work is taking place on a portion of the highway, that stretch of two-lane highway will be reduced to a single lane of traffic that will be guided by a pilot car and managed by flaggers at each end of the work zone. A flagger will release traffic to follow a pilot car to the other end of the work zone, where a second flagger prevents traffic in the opposing lane from entering. Only traffic following a pilot car in the same direction is released. To learn more, go to www.dot.state.mn.us/workzone/pilotcar.html.

Mill and overlay work involves removing a layer of pavement and replacing it with a new layer. As the transportation system ages, it needs more work to keep it in good shape.

MnDOT urges motorists to always be attentive, drive with caution, slow down in work zones and never enter a road blocked with barriers or cones.

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.