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Minnesota House of Representatives

State Representative Denny McNamara

359 State Office BuildingState Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-3135

For more information contact: Jason Wenisch 651-296-2317

Posted: 2008-04-30 00:00:00
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NEWS COLUMN

NEWS AND VIEWS FROM REP. DENNY McNAMARA

Neighbors,

Below are two items of interest for those using the bridge. 1) No shuttle bus during 6-8 weeks this summer 2) MnDOT to restrict traffic to one lane over next two weeks to now begin at 8 am instead of the current 9 am.

After several months of meetings and input from employees and employers, the Shuttle Bus Task Force met yesterday and decided that there was not sufficient interest at the proposed rates to establish shuttle service during the six to eight weeks the bridge will be undergoing repairs. We encourage co-workers to car pool if possible to decrease the number of vehicles crossing the bridge, which would minimize the delays during the construction.

Mn/DOT extends hours of single-lane traffic across Highway 61 Mississippi River bridge at Hastings during preliminary work. Motorists will encounter an additional hour of single lane traffic each day across the Highway 61 Mississippi River bridge in Hastings during installation of a platform and containment beneath the deck of the structure.

Beginning Thursday, May 1, traffic will be restricted to a single lane across the bridge from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The restrictions will continue Friday, May 2, and then resume Monday, May 5, through Friday, May 9. The bridge also will be restricted to a single lane from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 3.

The extra time is needed to allow crews to finish installation of the temporary platform to support equipment and workers doing maintenance and painting on the bridge.

The painting and repair project on the bridge began in mid-April with the installation of a temporary signal system at Highway 55 and Dakota County Road 42, which is intended to smooth traffic flow by improving left-hand turns from Highway 55 onto County Road 42 and from County Road 42 to Highway 55. Repairs also are underway on abutments, piers and beams beneath the south end of the bridge with completion expected in early May.

The main part of the project is expected to begin the week of May 12 with bridge traffic restricted to one lane, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A temporary signal system will control traffic crossing the bridge. The single-lane restriction is expected to be lifted by mid-July. However, there will be occasional, non-peak lane closures to finish work into early fall, as well as complete closures of the bridge during two or three weekends to replace bridge bearings.

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