Tri-County News

Highway 15 to be closed three months this summer


Rob Abfalter (left) is the MnDOT supervisor on this project. He answered scores of questions March 19 from residents, business people, farmers, and those use Highway 15 as their commute route. Staff photo by Jean Doran Matua.

By Jean Doran Matua, Editor

A 12-mile stretch of Highway 15 from Kimball, through Luxemburg, to St. Augusta will be closed much of this summer for road reconstruction. The road will be closed to all but local traffic for the entire three months, starting
April 29 and ending July 28.

Scope of the project

The first step of the $8.7 million project will be to close the road to traffic. Crews will then mill the top three inches off the paved road, the entire length of the project. At that point, about 30-some pipes and box culverts will be replaced, taking 1-3 days each. The roadway that remains will be reclaimed: ground up and re-placed onto the roadway as a base. The final step will be paving the 12 miles with blacktop. This project includes existing shoulders and turn-lanes.

Changes to the roadway – like adding bypass lanes, turn lanes, or widening the road – are not included in this 2019 summer project. Several such requests were made at the March 19 open house at Maine Prairie Town Hall, and project supervisor Rob Abfalter was there to listen to them.

In addition to the full-depth
reclamation of the highway, guardrails will be updated, and mumble strips will be installed. (Yes, they’re called mumble strips. Or, more technically, sinusoidal strips.) Mumble strips are cut into the asphalt as are rumble strips, but mumble strips are in a continuous undulating wave pattern (sinusoidal) in the center or on the edge of roadways. Mumble strips are quieter than rumble strips, too.

The exact start point in Kimball has apparently not yet been determined. The end point in St. Augusta will be just north of the County Road 47/136 intersection, at the driveway into Subway.

New pedestrian crossings will be installed at the intersection of Highway 15 and Stearns County Road 47/136 (at the stop lights near Casey’s in St. Augusta).

Knife River, the contractor, has a $100,000 incentive to finish the project early: $10,000 a day. They face a similar penalty for each day the project goes beyond July 28.

The result of the project will be a new smoother road surface with improved drainage structures and, at least in St. Augusta, improved pedestrian access.

Access during construction

Again, the entire 12-mile stretch of Highway 15 will be closed for the full construction period. Business and residential access along the highway will be maintained and open throughout the project. It is up to the contractor, Knife River, or its subcontractors to notify each property owner along the highway when construction is scheduled nearby. Any specific needs can be arranged directly with the contractor.

What to expect

Starting April 29, the planned start date, Highway 15 will be milled down to essentially a gravel road until the final repaving.

Local traffic will be allowed access most of the time. This means those traveling between two intersecting roads, not beyond them. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office will enforce the local travel restriction, and may place speed metering signs along the way from time to time. Deputies will give attention to detours as manpower allows. The Minnesota State Patrol will respond to any crashes on the highway, and emergency vehicles should have access to the road. Mail will continue to be delivered throughout the construction time, with drivers re-routing as needed.

Where an under-road pipe or culvert is being replaced, that portion of the road will be impassable to all. Each pipe or culvert could take as little as one day or as long as three.

Crews will work on this project six days a week, Mondays through Saturdays.

Detours

MnDOT has determined that a detour east of Kimball on County Road 44, north and south on County Road 7, and west to St. Cloud via I-94 is the shortest route that can handle the added traffic of a highway detour. There are plenty of side roads as well, depending on your location and your destination. Keep in mind that some of these side county roads may also be under construction this summer.

In their experience, about one third of potential traffic actually take the designated detours.

Your best bet is to figure out the detour that works best for you before the highway is closed.

Get informed

Sign up for email updates on the Highway 15 project at www.mndot.gov/d3/construct/. You also can find the latest news on the project there.

You can contact Rob Abfalter, the MnDOT construction project manager, at robert.abfalter@state.mn.us or (320) 223-6617. You should contact him especially if your driveway intersects with Highway 15 within the construction zone.

Thanks to Maine Prairie Township for hosting the open house Tuesday, March 19, at the Town Hall. The MnDOT folk were pleasantly surprised by the great turnout, perhaps the best of any of their recent projects.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *