Nighttime Highway 52 lane closures for bridge cleaning begin May 17 in Rochester
ROCHESTER, Minn. – Highway 52 motorists in Rochester should be alert for overnight lane closures beginning Sunday evening, May 17 as MnDOT bridge maintenance crews clean bridges, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Work will take place from 8 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. beginning in the evening of May 17 through the morning of May 20. During that work, crews use fresh water in high pressure pumps to spray down the gutter lines and joints of the bridges. Sand, debris and other material that accumulated during winter are swept up before flushing begins.
Motorists can expect brief traffic delays with lane closures. Flaggers directing traffic will be in some of the areas and there will be short-term ramp closures in the Civic Center Drive area during the overnight hours.
MnDOT’s three bridge maintenance crews in southeast Minnesota flush more than 400 bridges during this spring maintenance effort.
Bridge locations
MnDOT will clean 25 bridges during this effort. Work will take place on Highway 52 from 55th Street Northwest to the Highway 52/63 interchange in south Rochester, as well as on Highway 63 north of 40th Street and on Olmsted County Road 22 over Highway 14 West. The work includes bridges over Highway 52: 55th Street Northwest, 41st Street Northwest, 37th Street Northwest, 19th Street Northwest, 2nd Street Southwest, 6th Street Southwest, Highway 14 East and 16th Street Southwest. Work will also take place on Highway 63 near Stewartville.
Safety in work zones
Motorists should always be prepared to encounter traffic changes when approaching work zones including lane closures, lane shifts, uneven road surfaces, slow-moving heavy equipment and slow or stopped traffic. To keep everyone safe, drivers must:
- Obey posted speed limits. The fine for speeding in a work zone is $300.
- Drive undistracted. Avoid using cell phones, mobile devices, adjusting the radio – even eating –while in work zones.
- Move over. Give workers room to safely complete their work.
- Know before you go. Get real-time information about traffic and road conditions at www.511mn.org or get the free 511mn smartphone app at Google Play or the App Store.
- Be patient. Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
- Do the zipper merge.
- Avoid making unnecessary lane changes.
- Never enter a road blocked with barriers or cones.
Stay connected, informed
- Check out other MnDOT southeast Minnesota construction projects and sign up for project updates.
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