Hwy 52 construction from Zumbrota to Cannon Falls to begin early April

(ABC 6 News) – The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) held a public information meeting Wednesday night.

The public was welcome to come by the Zumbrota VFW to hear updates and learn more about the start of construction on Highway 52 from Zumbrota to Cannon Falls.

Construction is planned to start in early April, weather depending.

One of the major parts of the project will include an interchange added to the intersection of Highway 5 and County Road 8 to help limit the number of crashes.

Mike Dougherty with District 6 of MnDOT said there have been 48 crashes over the past ten years at that intersection, including two that were fatal.

He said to expect traffic backups and to look for alternate routes before you leave. You can find an interactive map at 511mn.org.

"Last year there were some traffic backups that people experienced. This year it’s really going to be significant. So, it’s because our project started in July last year. This year, April and it’s going to go all the way through November," Dougherty said.

This project has generated a lot of interest and many people who attended the meeting said this project is long overdue and they are glad that it is finally happening.

This is a $69.7 million project.

Dougherty said the long-term goal of these Highway 52 projects is to eventually make it into a freeway.