West College Drive – including a new roundabout near the National Guard Armory – was reopened in Marshall on Wednesday. Construction on the first half of a major project on Minnesota Highway 19 in Marshall wrapped up after about six months of work.

MARSHALL — A steady stream of cars were heading along West College Drive on Wednesday afternoon, as about six months of highway construction wrapped up for the season. The Minnesota Department of Transportation and R and G Construction announced that Highway 19 (West College Drive) was open to traffic again, and a detour on the highway would be lifted today.

The construction – the first half of a state project that will continue next summer – not only rebuilt the roadway, but added a roundabout to replace the three-way intersection near the National Guard Armory in Marshall.

Utility line replacements and road reconstruction began in May. Highway 19 was shut down from Fairgrounds Road to Main Street in Marshall. In addition changing local traffic patterns, construction also limited or changed access to businesses along West College Drive while work was going on.

In an email to Marshall businesses and community members announcing the Highway 19 reopening, R and G Construction Vice President Scott Mathiowetz thanked the community for their patience. “We understand the impact this project has had, and we are extremely grateful for everyone’s help,” he said.

MnDOT, working in partnership with the city of Marshall, is reconstructing a total of 1.8 miles of Highway 19 within city limits. The first phase of the project started on the west side of the city. In 2026, work will continue moving down College Drive, from the intersection of College and Main Street, to Bruce Street.

The reconstruction project costs approximately $25.7 million, MnDOT said. The project received $15.4 million in funding from a federal RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) grant.