The flyover bridge connecting westbound Interstate 90 to Oakland Place Northeast is scheduled to close Monday. The project is part of the “Bridges of Mower County” project. The bridge will be replaced with the I-90 Business Loop flyover bridge.

The bridge will be closed until September. Motorists can reach Oakland Avenue East and Oakland Place Northeast from I-90 via a detour on Highway 218.

The bridge will be demolished the weekend of March 26. Starting at 7 p.m. on March 26, the eastbound lanes of eastbound lanes of I-90 will be closed from Highway 218 north to Highway 218 south/21st Street Northeast. The lanes will be closed for safety reasons as crews remove the bridge. Eastbound lanes are scheduled to re-open at 5 a.m. on March 29.

Eastbound traffic will be guided on 45-mile detour north on Highway 218 to Blooming Prairie, then east on Highway 30 to Hayfield, then south back to I-90. GoogleMap estimates the travel time of the detour route as more than an hour. The distance on I-90 takes less than 15 minutes.

Westbound traffic will be diverted around the bridge on the exit ramp at Highway 218 South/21st Street Northeast, across 21st Street and then back onto I-90 via the entrance ramp. This also means the Highway 218 South/21st Street Northeast bridge over I-90 will be closed to traffic. Drivers will be detoured east to 28th Street Northeast, north to westbound Interstate 90, and west to 21st Street Northeast.

The demolition is set to take place all weekend — weather permitting. The project may include loud noise and vibrations, so residents are warned not to be alarmed.

The $12.8 million project includes four bridge replacements in two years. Lunda Construction Co. is the project’s main contractor.

For more information about the project, visit www.dot.state.mn.us/d6/projects/bridges_of_mower_county/index.html

Road construction timeline

March

March 22: Flyover bridge from westbound I-90 to Oakland Place Northeast closes

March 26-29: Demolition of flyover bridge. Eastbound I-90 closed from Highway 218 North to Highway 218 South/21st Street Northeast

Detour:  North on Highway 218 to Highway 30, west to Highway 56, south to I-90

March 26-29: Through traffic on westbound I-90 at Oakland Place Northeast diverted onto the exit ramp at Highway 218 S/21st St. NE, across 21st St NE, and back on to westbound I-90 using the 21st St NE entrance ramp

Northbound traffic on Highway 218 S prohibited from using bridge at 21st Street Northeast to cross I-90 during this time.  Motorists will be detoured east on I-90 to 28th Street Northeast, north to westbound I-90; and west to 21st Street Northeast.

March 29: 12th Avenue Northwest/8th Avenue Northwest near Turtle Creek closing (opening September)

March 29: I-90 routed to one lane in each direction near Dobbins Creek (through August)

March 29: 8th Avenue Northeast near Dobbins Creek closing (opening June)

April – August 2010

10th Place Northeast and 8th Avenue Northeast closed periodically near Dobbins Creek (details TBD)

I-90 traffic routed to one lane in each direction near Turtle Creek and Dobbins Creek

September 2010

Flyover bridge complete

Dobbins Creek bridge complete

Turtle Creek eastbound bridge complete

Source: Minnesota Department of Transportation (Dates are subject to change due to weather)