Road Project Could Cause 20 Mile Backups Near St. Cloud

MnDOT says a road resurfacing project on I-94 just south of St. Cloud is going to create some big backups until next July.

Crews started work Monday morning on a seven mile stretch from Highway 24 in Clearwater to County Road 75 between St. Cloud and St. Augusta.

Backups of up to 20 miles are possible at peak times from Thursday to Sunday. Lesser backups are expected on other days.

This affects the 42,000 people who use the stretch every day, including many semi-trucks.

The drivers at the Speedee Trucking Company out of St. Cloud make more than 140 trips through the area each day.

"We're anticipating the construction, so we're alerting the drivers what to pay attention to when they're out on the road as far as changing routes, finding alternate routes, or just paying attention to other drivers on the road when it comes to safety," said Jeff Good, Speedee's corporate safety director.

"It's very easy to get frustrated, especially when you're on a time frame or trying to get something done in a hurry," said Good. "But it's important you keep a cool head about you especially when you're driving in a construction zone because it's such a dangerous area."

MNDot says the $16.4 million project is much needed, as the stretch of road hasn't been resurfaced since it was originally poured in 1973 and 1974.

The primary suggested detour is County Road 75 from Hasty to St. Cloud as a detour, but Highways 10 and 55 are also good options.

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