Signs for an upcoming highway project between Marshall and Minneota were in place in Marshall this week. MnDOT plans to resurface about 12 miles of Minnesota Highway 68 starting on May 13. The project will be done without a detour, and drivers are being asked to allow for longer travel times.

MARSHALL — Road construction season is gearing up in southwest Minnesota. This month, work is set to begin on a paving project that will impact Minnesota Highway 68 between Marshall and Minneota. The Minnesota Department of Transportation said the resurfacing work will begin on Monday, May 13.

A detour is not planned for the project, and drivers should allow for extra travel time, MnDOT said Friday.

The Highway 68 construction won’t be the only road work in the area this summer, either. Construction projects are also planned on Minnesota Highway 23, U.S. Highway 59, and Highway 67 in Clarkfield.

Highway 68 resurfacing project

The first MnDOT road project that will get started in the area is the resurfacing of Highway 68 between North Grant Street in Minneota to the intersection of U.S. Highway 59 in Marshall. The $3.1 million project will build a smoother surface on the highway.

The resurfacing work is planned to start May 13 and conclude June 30, MnDOT said. However, those dates could change depending on weather conditions and other circumstances. There will be no detour for the project.

The city of Ghent is not included in the construction, and Highway 68 in Ghent will be resurfaced at a later date, MnDOT said.

Before MnDOT’s news release on Friday, electronic signs reminding drivers of the May 13 start date had been placed in Marshall. The advance notice to drivers is important for projects that will be done under traffic, said Sandra Schlagel, public engagement coordinator for MnDOT District 8.

“When they are driving through the work zone, we really want it front-of-mind,” Schlagel said. MnDOT was asking drivers to slow down, and be alert for workers and equipment. There will also be flaggers present in the Highway 68 work zone, she said.

Construction in Clarkfield

Reconstruction of Highway 67 within the city of Clarkfield is planned to start up May 6, according to the MnDOT District 8 projects website. The street reconstruction will run from just east of the intersection with Highway 59, to Sixth Street in Clarkfield. In addition to reconstructing the street, storm sewers will also be replaced. Alongside the road work, the BNSF Railway will also be replacing track at the intersection of Highway 59 and Highway 67.

MnDOT said two detours will be required for the road construction project. A detour of Highway 59 will begin May 6 and last two to three weeks. A detour of Highway 67 will begin after that, and will stay in place through the end of the project.

Construction is planned to end Nov. 1, according to the MnDOT District 8 website.

The approximate cost of the project is $4.7 million.

Highway 23 construction

On June 3, construction is planned to start on a project that will affect Highway 23 between Russell and Pipestone. The project will resurface the asphalt on this stretch of the highway, as well as replacing a culvert about a mile east of Florence, and replacing the bridge deck on the bridge east of the Highway 23/Highway 75 intersection in Pipestone.

Both the culvert replacement and the bridge replacement will require a detour, MnDOT said. For the Florence culvert replacement, traffic will be detoured on Highway 91 and Highway 14. The detour will start on June 3 and be in place for about two months.

The detour for the Pipestone bridge replacement will take traffic on County Road 8 near Holland, and Highway 75. The detour will be in place starting August 21, and will be in place until the project concludes Nov. 1.

Costs for the project are about $11.2 million, MnDOT said.

A MnDOT open house for the project will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on May 6, at the Pipestone County Government Center. MnDOT staff and contractors will be available to answer questions from the public.

Concrete repairs on Highway 59

Concrete repairs are planned to begin on two sections of Highway 59 in July, according to MnDOT’s District 8 project website. The first portion of the project will affect Highway 59 south of Marshall, from Lyon County Road 6 to Highway 23. The second portion of the repairs will affect Highway 59 south of Garvin, from 211th Street in Murray County to Lyon County Road 14.

Detours will be required for both sections of concrete repair. The Marshall detour will take traffic on Highway 23, South Saratoga Street (County Road 35), and Lyon County Road 6. The Garvin detour will take traffic on Highway 14, Lyon County Road 5 and Murray County Road 29, and Murray County Road 48.

Construction is planned from July to October 2024, according to the MnDOT District 8 website.