MnDOT begins work on I-94 expansion project between Monticello, Albertville
A MnDOT traffic management camera shows construction barrels and cones along I-94 near County Road 18.
A multi-year project on I-94 is now underway in an effort to help with congestion north and west of the Twin Cities metro area.
According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the so-called “I-94 Gap Project” gets underway Monday and is the beginning of a three-year expansion of the highway between Monticello and Albertville.
Drivers should expect I-94 to stay open to two lanes in each direction on one side of the interstate as crews build the neighboring sides. At the end of the project, there will be a total of six lanes — three in each direction.
MnDOT says the third westbound lane will be from Wright County Road 37 in Albertville to west of Highway 25 in Monticello, while a third eastbound lane will be created from west of Highway 25 in Monticello to County Road 19 in Albertville.
During constriction, drivers should expect some lane closures in both directions of I-94 through the fall months, with closures mainly happening during the overnight hours.
Workers will be first preparing work zones, including work such as median crossovers and temporary lane widening. Major construction will begin next spring.
In addition to adding another lane, the surface will be rebuilt, workers will replace the westbound bridge over County Road 19 in Albertville and widen the westbound bridge over County Road 75 in Monticello. They will also build two noise walls along the highway in Monticello.
According to MnDOT, the road will increase capacity and lower the amount of bottle necks and address growth in the area.
An interactive traffic map showing current conditions can be found below.