By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
On Thursday, road construction crews at the I-35 and Highway 19 Roundabout will remove pavement sections to replace the following day. Workers will be placed to redirect and possibly stop traffic as necessary on Thursday.
Starting on Friday, a small stretch of Highway 19 just east of the roundabout will close for several hours. Motorists traveling east towards Northfield will be redirected to County Road 59 at Highway 19 and I-35 roundabout for approximately 6 miles until entering back onto Highway 19 near the entrance to St. Olaf College. Motorists traveling west of Northfield will travel on the detour in reverse, detouring off of Highway 19 near St. Olaf onto County Round 59 and rejoining at the roundabout.
Motorists are asked to plan for delays on Friday. Travelers driving through the area are asked to continue using caution, to follow the posted work zone speed limit, to keep their eyes out for construction crews, and to put away distractions.
Two legs of the roundabout remain closed: the northbound I-35 entrance ramp and County Road 46. Both are expected to reopen in the next couple of weeks when work on the roundabout is complete.
The $4.76 million project, led by Rice County, is being funded largely through grants and is designed to improve safety at the intersection. Roundabouts slow traffic and reduce the likelihood of side-impact crashes considered the deadliest. According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, “roundabouts show an 86% decrease in fatal crashes, an 83% decrease in life-altering injury crashes and a 42% overall decrease in the injury crash rate at intersections.”