Construction crews prepared for the next portion of concrete work at the center of the roundabout being built near the National Guard Armory in Marshall. Representatives of R and G Construction said the reconstruction of Highway 19 (College Drive) is continuing to make progress this week.

MARSHALL — A new roundabout is continuing to take shape in Marshall, in the ongoing construction on Minnesota Highway 19. In a construction update Thursday, Erika Coudron of R and G Construction said crews were making progress on the concrete paving for the roundabout near the National Guard Armory.

“They should have the roundabout and all the legs of the roundabout paved, hopefully by Wednesday,” Coudron told Marshall city staff and local businesspeople. “Then they’ll start doing all the sidewalk connections of the roundabout, and then across. So they’re making really good progress.”

The finished roundabout will replace the three-way intersection of West College Drive (Highway 19), Country Club Drive and South Second Street near the Armory. So far, Coudron said, the center two rings of concrete for the roundabout have been completed, and crews were going to move on to building the truck apron portion of the roundabout.

“So then next week, there’s one or two legs (of the roundabout) left, and then they’ll do the main circle around the roundabout,” she said.

Coudron said construction crews have been taking advantage of the recent good weather to work on the Highway 19 project, and even bringing in lighting around the roundabout.

“We’re going (from) dark to dark,” she said. “We’ve got to make hay when it’s nice.”

The Minnesota Department of Transportation plans to reconstruct College Drive between Fairgrounds Road and Main Street this year. The project will continue in 2026, from Main Street to Bruce Street.

Coudron said construction is currently wrapping up on the westernmost end of the construction zone, which runs from Fairgrounds Road to the bridge near Legion Field Park.

“We did all the striping late last week,” she said. That stretch of roadway was now open to traffic.

Construction is now underway on the portion of Highway 19 between Legion Field and South Fourth Street. Coudron said the Fourth Street intersection is now closed, and the old roadway has been removed.

“We’ve started putting in the water main, and also the sanitary sewer. So, by early next week we’re hoping to have the majority of the pipe in the ground, and that way we can just keep on getting the grading completed,” she said.

At the other end of the construction zone, the College Drive/Saratoga Street intersection is now open to traffic, with a flashing red stop light. Coudron said some additional electrical work was going on for crossing signals and street lighting.

Crews would need to do some boring between Marvin Schwan Memorial Drive and Main Street, Coudron said.

“They won’t be blocking Marvin Schwan, but they’ll be sitting back with, basically, their trencher off in the boulevard,” she said. “No traffic will be impacted, they’ll be off the road.”

Coudron said MnDOT was planning to keep the west side of the College Drive/Main Street intersection closed during construction. Marshall Public Works Director Jason Anderson asked if it might be possible for traffic to have access to downtown public parking through the Saratoga Street intersection.

“That’s discussions that we’ve been having with MnDOT,” Coudron said.