Owatonna Bridge Construction Starts Monday

Replacement of the Highway 14 Westbound bridge south of Owatonna will begin Monday, April 2 according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Westbound traffic will be routed to the eastbound bridge which was replaced last year as part of a two year project to replace 12 bridges south of Owatonna. This will result in a detour for westbound Highway 14 motorists who wish to exit onto I-35 North. Starting Monday westbound traffic wanting to go north will be detoured through the interchange loops at I-35 by taking the southbound I-35 ramp to the eastbound Highway 24 ramp to the northbound I-35 ramp.

Traffic on I-35 is expected to switch to two-way traffic in the southbound lanes in mid-April so workers can replace the bridges in the northbound lanes. The northbound Straight River Rest area will be closed after the traffic switch.

A reminder that the Steele County Road 18 bridge over the freeway remains closed as it is being replaced. This is all part of the second year of a 2 year bridge replacement project south of Owatonna.