Spring means we are at the start of one of Minnesota's least favorite seasons, road construction. While it's a necessary evil, as our roads see temperatures well above and below freezing, hundreds of thousands of wheels, steel blades scraping snow, and ice melting chemicals are applied over the course of any given year. It's no wonder we are always repairing and or replacing chunks of roads each year.

According to a news release from the Rice County Highway Department, here are some of the biggest projects that will be happening on Rice County Roads this year.

  • CSAH No. 15 (250th St. W) – "Milling, reclamation, and bituminous surfacing, shoulder paving and pavement markings on approximately 8.2 miles between the Morristown city limits and CSAH No. 45 (Albers Ave.). The roadway will be open to traffic, however, single-lane closures and travel delays should be expected. A construction start date has yet to be determined. Work is expected to be complete in September."
  • CSAH No. 38 (Cedar Lake Blvd.) – "Milling, reclamation and bituminous surfacing, shoulder paving and pavement markings on approximately 2.24 miles between CSAH No. 97 (Douglas Ave.) and CSAH No. 11 (7th St. NW). The roadway will be open to traffic, however, single-lane closures and travel delays should be expected. A construction start date has yet to be determined. Work is expected to be complete in September."
  • CSAH No. 9 (150th St.), CSAH No. 14 (230th St.), CR No. 72 (Holland Ave./Independence Ave.), & CSAH No. 93 (Bagley Ave.) – "Bituminous overlay of CSAH No. 9 from MN TH No. 3 to CSAH No. 46, CSAH No. 14 from Kanabec Ave. to Rice/LeSueur County Line, CR No. 72 from MN TH No. 60 to CSAH 12, and CSAH No. 93 from CSAH No. 39 to 4th St. NW. The roadway will be open to traffic, however, single-lane closures and travel delays should be expected. A construction start date has yet to be determined. Work is expected to be complete in September."
  • CSAH No. 22 (Faulk Trail) – "Milling, bituminous surfacing, and pavement markings on approximately 3.0 miles between MN TH 246 (Dennison Blvd.) and CSAH No. 20 (Cannon City Blvd.). The roadway will be open to traffic, however, single-lane closures and travel delays should be expected. A construction start date has yet to be determined. Work is expected to be complete in September."
  • CSAH No. 76 (Base Line Road) – "Reconstruction of 2.26 miles of CSAH No. 76 from CSAH No. 8 (130th St. E.) to CSAH No. 1 (Millersburg Blvd. E). Work in 2022 includes grading, culvert replacements, and the replacement of Bridge No. 66J13 over Wolf Creek. Work in 2023 includes bituminous pavement, bituminous shoulders, turf establishment, signage, and pavement markings. The roadway will be closed to thru traffic and a detour route will be posted. Work is expected to begin toward the end of May and is expected to be completed on or before July 31, 2023."
  • Culvert replacement and rehabilitation on CSAH No. 12 (210th St. W), CSAH No. 16 (Kanabec Ave.), CSAH No. 19 (Glynview Trail), CSAH No. 23 (Gates Ave.), CSAH No. 25 (197th St.), CSAH No. 38 (Cedar Lake Blvd.), CSAH No. 46 (Hazelwood Ave.), and CSAH No. 48 (Lyndale Ave.) – "Replace or rehabilitate existing culverts for future pavement resurfacing projects or maintenance needs. Daily road closures, travel delays, and the use of alternate routes should be anticipated. Work is scheduled to begin in April and be completed in September."

Pavement overlays and patching, miscellaneous culvert replacements, pavement striping, pavement crack sealing, and other maintenance projects requiring temporary road closures at various locations throughout the county are also planned throughout the spring and summer months.

The best thing you can do before heading out the door is to check out the Rice County Highway Department's map that shows where all the construction will be taking place, and you can find that map here. 

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