Interstate 35 construction at Faribault begins July 10

Faribault, Minn. – Motorists traveling on Interstate 35 at Faribault should prepare for lane closures and occasional ramp closures beginning on July 10 when crews are scheduled to start construction for highway resurfacing, bridge repair and ramp alterations, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Construction will take place over two years and it has been broken into four phases .

Phase 1 and Phase 2 include the 2023 work and will begin July 10. These will focus on constructing median crossover lanes, resurfacing southbound I-35 between Bagley Avenue/Western Avenue and Rice County Road 48 and rehabilitating the flyover ramp (southbound Lyndale Avenue) from Highland Place to southbound I-35 and the northbound ramp at Highway 21.
Phase 3 and Phase 4 include the work in 2024, which will resurface northbound and southbound I-35 and reconstruct ramps at Rice County Road 48, Highway 60 and Highway 21.

The project will extend the life of I-35 and create a smoother ride for motorists through an unbonded concrete overlay construction process, which can cause a 9-inch difference in height on the roadway. To adjust for the difference, short sections of the road will be removed and rebuilt.

Adjusting ramps will improve safety in the area by addressing crashes and acceleration and deceleration issues.

2023 traffic impacts

Motorists may experience traffic slowdowns or backups during key travel periods such as commuting times and weekends because of large traffic volumes on I-35
Traffic reduced to a single lane in each direction
Southbound traffic shifted onto northbound side of I-35 while Rice County Road southbound ramp and southbound mainline work is completed from Bagley Avenue to the south end of the project
Ramps occasionally closed, two of the three ramps into Faribault may be under construction at the same time

Construction maps and more project details can be found at the project website .

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:

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.

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