MnDOT to Host Public Meeting on Project at Busy Rochester Interchange

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- MnDOT is hosting a public Thursday that’s centered around a project to reconstruct busy interchange in the Rochester area. 

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The meeting starts at 3:30 p.m. and ends at 5:30 p.m. It’s being held at  Southeast Service Cooperative’s Wood Lake Meeting Center,  210 Wood Lake Drive SE, Rochester, MN 55904. 

MnDOT says the meeting is a chance for the community to learn more about the reconstruction of the Hwy. 52/Interstate 90 interchange southeast of Rochester. Those in attendance will be presented with information regarding the interchange design, planned improvements, construction staging, detour information, and project schedule. 

Preliminary designs for the project indicate one of its goals is to dramatically cut down on left turns at the interchange by installing a flyover ramp for southbound Hwy. 52 traffic looking to enter I-90 east.  

The left turn onto the I-90 east entrance ramp has become increasingly dangerous as traffic loads on Hwy. 52 have increased over the years. MnDOT previously restricted traffic to a single lane in each direction on Hwy. 52 at the interchange in an effort to cut down on the number and severity of the collisions at the site, which most often involve motorists seeking to access eastbound I-90.

The new entrance ramp to I-90 East from both directions of Hwy. 52 will be shifted east of the current on-ramp. MnDOT also plans to reconstruct the I-90 overpasses over Hwy. 52 to move the bridge piers to make it safer for vehicles crossing the intersection at the bottom of the interchange. 

The proposed construction plans also call for rebuilding the on and off ramps to reduce run off the road crashes. 

Work on the estimated $38.4 million project is scheduled to begin with the construction of temporary median crossovers and new ramp loops next year. Construction on the new I-90 eastbound bridge and Hwy. 52 flyover bridge is set to begin in 2025 and crews plan to put the finishing touches on the project in 2026.