NEWS RELEASE
STEWARTVILLE, Minn. – Interstate 90 motorists will be detoured 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. for two successive nights (May 10-11) while construction crews place the Hwy 63 southbound bridge beams over the highway, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
During the I-90 detour, westbound motorists will exit I-90 at Hwy 63 northbound (Exit 209), proceed north to the Hwy 30 west exit at the Rochester International Airport, return to Hwy 63 going southbound and follow to I-90 where it rejoins the highway. Eastbound motorists will exit I-90 at High Forest (Exit 205), follow Olmsted County Road 6 east into Stewartville, then north on Hwy 63 to connect again with I-90.
During the two-year construction project both Hwy 63 bridges will be replaced, Hwy 30 west rerouted, some I-90 exit ramps will be added or realigned and the access to 90th Street SE will be closed and rerouted.
Mathiowetz Construction Co., of Sleepy Eye, Minn., is the prime contractor on this $15,419,780 project.
Current existing detours:
• Northbound Hwy 63 to westbound I-90: Motorists go north to the Hwy 30/Olmsted County Road 8 exit at the airport, return to southbound Hwy 63 and connect with westbound I-90 on-ramp.
• Southbound Hwy 63 to eastbound I-90: Motorists travel south to 20th St. and do a U-turn to travel north on Hwy 63 to use the I-90 eastbound on-ramp.
• Westbound I-90 to southbound Hwy 63 follow same route during bridge deck removal.
Olmsted County Road 8 and Hwy 30:
• Stop sign changes at Hwy 30/ Olmsted County Road 8 – the intersection at Hwy 30 and Olmsted County Road 8 has changed. Motorists on eastbound Hwy 30 will need to stop at a stop sign before turning north or south onto Olmsted County Road 8. Motorists on Olmsted County Road 8 will not have a stop sign.
• Hwy 30 detour – the intersection of Hwy 30 west and Hwy 63 is closed and rerouted. Hwy 63 motorists who want to access Hwy 30 west of Hwy 63 will exit at Olmsted County Road 16, (the interchange that serves Rochester International Airport), travel west to Olmsted County Road 8 south to Hwy 30 west.
Safety
Motorists may encounter lane closures or lane shifts, uneven road surfaces, equipment and other unexpected obstacles when driving near or through work zones. MnDOT advises motorists to:
• Find up-to-date information about traffic and road conditions at 511mn.org or get the free smartphone app at Google Play or the App Store
• Expect delays, especially during peak travel times
• Go hands-free and minimize other distractions (e.g., don’t eat or drink while driving
• Follow posted speed limits; the fine for speeding in a work zone is $300
• Avoid making lane changes within work zones
Stay connected, informed
• Check MnDOT’s road construction project website to learn about this project.
• To learn about road construction projects in southeast Minnesota and sign up for email updates at MnDOT’s website, which includes projects from 2021-2024.
• Join the MnDOT Southeast Minnesota Facebook group for news, information and events in the region
• Follow us on MnDOT Southeast on Twitter for updates, information and initiatives
Mike Dougherty
Director of Public Engagement and Communications
MnDOT, District 6, Rochester
507-251-2749
Twitter: @mndotsoutheast
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/MnDOTsoutheast/