Highway 23 Willmar ramps project update: SW and NE ramps open; changes in traffic control
WILLMAR, Minn. – Two of the three ramps being built as part of a Highway 23 and Kandiyohi County Road 5 access project in Willmar are completed and open to traffic, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The southwest and northeast ramps opened today, and work has begun on the northwest ramp.
Traffic control changes
- The southwest ramp for the Highway 23 and Kandiyohi County Road 5 intersection is open
- The northeast ramp for the Highway 23 and Kandiyohi County Road 5 intersection is open
- Travelers can no longer access 19th Avenue Southwest from westbound or eastbound Highway 23
- During construction of the northwest ramp, travelers will be able to make a right turn onto Highway 23 for westbound travel from 19th Avenue Southwest; the intersection will close permanently upon completion of the northwest ramp
About this project
MnDOT is constructing three ramps at the intersection of Highway 23 and Kandiyohi County Road 5, including the northwest, northeast, and southwest corners. A ramp is already in place at the southeast corner of the intersection. Once the ramps are completed, Highway 23 will be resurfaced from the west end of the project to the east end.
Benefits of the project include enhanced safety for travelers and access to and from Highway 23 in southwest Willmar. Duininck, Inc., is the contractor and the project cost is approximately $2.5 million. Work is scheduled to be complete by October 6, 2023; however, start and end dates could change due to weather and other unforeseeable circumstances.
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