Clearwater area residents and business owners stopped by MnDOT’s Hwy. 24 corridor project public meeting Monday to see the final construction plans laid out.
Although much of the initial project plans remain the same, several things have been changed or removed after residents and business owners expressed concerns and they weren’t approved by the Clearwater City Council.
Project details that have changed include:
• Lime Street won’t be closed;
• The center median will stop at the Clearwater Truck Stop instead of continuing to Co. Road 75;
• The roundabout at Co. Road 75 will not be built;
• The noise barriers along the west side of Hwy. 24 between Co. Road 75 and the Mississippi River bridge will no longer be necessary;
• Vehicles exiting Ash Street will not be able to turn left.
MnDOT Project Manager Terri Odegaard said they have had good feedback on most of the changes and overall project. The only item that has received mixed feedback is the removal of the roundabout at Co. Road 75; some are glad to see it removed and others are wondering why it was removed.
The project, which is being driven by the 1-94 bridge replacement and safety concerns, will happen in two phases. The first phase, the bridge replacement, is scheduled to begin in 2026. It includes roundabouts at both interstate accesses.
The new bridge will be constructed 10’ offline the current bridge so traffic flow won’t be affected. The new Mississippi River bridge, which was completed in 2017, was constructed in the same manner.
Odegaard explained the new interstate access ramps will be widened and the new bridge design is wider to look toward the future in the event a third lane is constructed west of Clearwater to match up to the third lane that was constructed between Clearwater and Monticello.
Construction on Hwy. 24 from Kwik Trip to Co. Rd. 7 will also be done at a future date, but is being headed by Wright Co., not MnDOT.
For continuing information on this project and to sign up for email updates, visit talk.dot.state.mn.us/hwy-24-clearwater.
