A busy Owatonna intersection will see a major change this summer with the installation of a roundabout at 26th Street (County Highway 34) and State Avenue (County Highway 45). Work will take about two months this summer/fall. The Steele County Highway Department is holding a virtual open house now through May 9 "to share the project design and gather feedback from the public," according to a news release.

In the project description from the county highway department, three main issues will be improved. "In the past five years, four injury crashes including one severe injury have occurred at this intersection, which is higher than expected for an intersection of this type." The current signal "has ongoing issues [including] intermittent outages that increase traffic delay." The project will also upgrade the "dip in the roadway at the railroad tracks" that create a rough ride.

At the virtual open house you will find a recorded presentation, a detour map, informational materials, and a chance to submit comments through email.

Work is expected to take two months during the summer/fall of 2021. Stated traffic impacts:

  • The intersection will be closed...required for simultaneous work on the railroad.
  • Detour for County Road 45 (State Ave) is Interstate 35. "Take the 46th Street exit for destinations to the north and the Hoffman Drive exit to access locations to the south."
  • The County 34 (26th St) detour "when heading east is Interstate 35 to Hoffman Drive, to North Street, to Cedar Avenue. Take the reverse route when traveling west."

Check out these other roundabout stories in Owatonna.

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