Two road projects will affect drivers in Austin and Mower County starting Monday.

Culvert work on Interstate 90 will close the westbound off-ramp and reduce Fourth Street Northwest traffic to a single lane in each direction.

And Highway 56 will be detoured in Adams as road reconstruction and work begins to replace major utilities between First Street and Fourth Street in the community.

Highway 56

This phase to replace major utilities in Adams is expected to last about two and a half months, weather permitting, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The project includes reconstruction of the roadway in Adams with sanitary sewer, water, lighting, sidewalk and drainage utility replacements. Landscaping and ADA pedestrian ramps will also be upgraded.

The stretch of Highway 56 in Adams from First Street and Fourth Street will be closed while the roadway is reconstructed.

The detour route for eastbound Highway 56 motorists will be: Mower County Road 18 south to Mower County Road 6 east and connect back with Highway 56 east of LeRoy.

The detour for westbound Highway 56 motorists will be: County Road 6 west to County Road 18 north. Westbound motorists connect with Highway 56 in Adams.

This is part of a 16-mile project along Highway 56 in Mower County from Taopi to near Interstate 90. The project will replace the aging pavement and improve safety along the corridor. Work includes grading, paving, storm sewer repair as well as guardrail installation along the route.

Mathy Construction is the prime contractor for the $5.2 million project. Work on the entire project is scheduled to be finished by Oct. 6.

For more information or to sign up for email updates, go to mndot.gov/d6/projects/Highway56-resurfacing/

Interstate 90

Concrete repairs and culvert replacements on the westbound I-90 off-ramp will be broken into two phases, according to MnDOT District 6 Public Affairs Coordinator Mike Dougherty.

“During the first week, we’ll be replacing the concrete panels on the northbound lane, then on the southbound lane,” he said. “Due to the presence of road work equipment, there won’t be enough space for drivers to turn, so we’re required to close the ramp.”

Work on the lanes will result in the closure of the lanes as well as the ramp, which will reduce traffic to a single lane in each direction on Fourth Street Northwest.

Motorists heading north on Fourth Street Northwest off I-90 should turn right north on Highway 218 North to 18th Avenue Northwest east to Fourth Street Northwest. Motorists wanting to go south on Fourth Street Northwest should use the same exit, but then turn south at the interchange and return to I-90 traveling east to use the eastbound exit at Fourth Street Northwest.

Northbound Fourth Street motorists won’t be able to use the westbound on-ramp.

Motorists driving north on Fourth Street Northwest who want to use the I-90 westbound on-ramp will be detoured north to 18th Avenue Northwest and drive west Highway 218, where they will turn south and use the on-ramp to westbound I-90.

The construction is scheduled to last two to three weeks, depending on weather.

The area around Fourth Street Northwest could potentially see a bit of extra traffic as

Up next: the 11th Drive Northeast bridge

On May 15, work will start on the $2.97 million project to replace the 11th Drive Northeast bridge over Interstate 90.

The bridge is planned to close around June 2, but Dougherty said the ramps will remain open during most of the project.

Bridge demolition is scheduled to be completed between the night of June 2 and the morning of June 5. I-90 traffic that weekend will be routed up the on-ramps and back onto the interstate to avoid the area while the bridge is taken down.

The bridge is scheduled to be completed in early October.

Work will kick into gear on the 11th Drive bridge as its ending on the Oakland Place Southeast bridge on the south end of East Side Lake. That project is expected to end in late May, and the Interstate 90 flyer bridge to Oakland along East Side Lake will open around the same time.

Work on the 11th Drive Northeast bridge will include grading, paving, bridge replacement, and shared use trail and drainage improvements. The new bridge will be widened to accommodate two 12-foot lanes, two 8-foot shoulders and a 10-foot sidewalk. The existing roadway alignment will remain the same.

Some additional one-day closures are planned on 10th Place Northeast and Eighth Avenue Northeast for culvert work between May 15 and June 1, according to Dougherty.