The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced 290 road construction projects in the state beginning this spring and summer, and many of these projects will take place in the metro area.
Some of the larger projects, such as the Minnesota Highway 5 project beginning this month, will result in temporary closure or major delays of heavily used roadways.
While the number of projects isn’t necessarily higher than in past years, MnDOT Communications Director Kevin Gutknecht said St. Thomas and other local college students can expect delays and closures close to home.
“The first thing I would say is people should get in the habit of … planning their drive into work and into school,” Gutknecht said. “There’s a lot of colleges along Snelling Avenue in St. Paul, and we’re going to be doing some work on Snelling this year from I-94 going south.”
The Minnesota Highway 51 project closed Interstate Highway 94 in both directions between Minnesota Highway 280 and Interstate Highway 35E on Friday at 10 p.m. for the weekend. This is only one of the major closings commuters can expect this summer, according to a complete list of construction projects.
Junior Marissa Alliegro lives near campus and frequently commutes in the metro area. She expects the construction will slow down her travels.
“Whether I’m going home or I’m getting to some other place in the metro, it probably has freeway driving of some kind,” Alliegro said. “I think everyone gets pretty annoyed with road construction to be honest … A lot of times speed limits are a lot lower in construction areas, so it definitely makes it difficult when a very popular route has construction at the same time.”
Gutknecht said he understands the frustration but thinks people must realize the value and necessity of yearly road repair and maintenance. The materials that make up the roads, namely concrete and steel, erode over time and require repair and replacement, he said.
“In Minnesota, we’ve been working on our roadway system for a very long time. It ages,” he said. “What we’re finding is our transportation infrastructure is beginning to wear out, and we have to spend time everywhere working on it and maintaining it to keep it so it will get those students to and from school.”
Freshman Evan Kalb is hoping to get a local job this summer, but despite the potential road delays, he said the construction is worth it.
“I’d say it’s necessary because efficient circulation of the populace is definitely needed,” Kalb said. “If we don’t do it now, bigger problems might show up later on.”
Gutknecht encourages students to use a MnDOT app called Minnesota 511 that helps plan routes by providing statewide, real-time traffic information including speeds, road conditions, traffic incidents and road work.
Kalb said he will probably use this app and expects it to be very helpful for other student commuters.
“Like with anything, proper planning is highly effective,” Kalb said. “Especially if you need to get somewhere on time and you have to figure out what route you’re going to take. An app like that sounds very effective for achieving that.”
If students use Minnesota 511, Gutknecht advised them to be aware of nearby projects through their online pages throughout the construction season.
“I don’t think people realize all the time how big of a role transportation plays in our day-to-day lives,” Gutknecht said. “The road system is very important to our economy and our way of life.”
Simeon Lancaster can be reached at lanc4637@stthomas.edu.