As the ground thaws, Minnesota is shifting into road construction season.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced about $900 million in construction projects for 2011.
The only Mower County project will be a resurfacing of Highway 218 south of Interstate 90 to the Iowa border. The $3.5 million project is scheduled to last July through September, and it will include lane closures.
According to a MnDOT news release, the 258 statewide projects will help improve safety, mobility and infrastructure across the state.
“Minnesota’s transportation system is a vital part of the state’s infrastructure and is essential for a strong and vibrant state economy,” Gov. Mark Dayton said in the release. “These projects will support thousands of jobs in Minnesota, from the construction workers directly working on the projects to others who work in the support industries for construction.”
Crews will resurface 13 miles of I-90’s westbound lanes from Hwy 63 to Olmsted County Road 19. The $3 million project is scheduled from July to October and will include flaggers and daily lane closures.
“Mn/DOT is focused on improving our roads and bridges and maximizing the capacity of our multimodal transportation system to give the traveling public more options and improve Minnesotans’ quality of life,” said Tom Sorel, MnDOT Commissioner in the release.
Other regional projects include the installation of tower lighting on Interstate 35 at the Interstate 90 interchange. Another project will also improve traffic signals on Highway 63 in Stewartville.
I-35 will see persistent minor projects throughout the summer. Traffic cameras and overhead changeable message signs will be installed in Freeborn, Rice and Steele counties. On the same stretch, crews will be clearing trees along the interstate but traffic effects are expected to be minimal.