Bridge cleaning to force nighttime Hwy 52 lane closures in Rochester

(ABC 6 news) – The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) announced there will be some nighttime lane closures on Highway 52 in Rochester as maintenance crews clean bridges.

Work will take place from 8:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. for three nights — May 21, 23 and 24. Crews will clear bridges of sand, debris, and other material that accumulated during winter. Crews will also use fresh water in high pressure pumps to spray down the gutter lines and joints.

Motorists can expect brief traffic delays with lane closures. Flaggers directing traffic will be in some of the areas and there will be short-term ramp closures in the Civic Center Drive area during the overnight hours.

Work will take place on Highway 52 from 55^th Street Northwest to the Highway 52/63 interchange in south Rochester, and on Highway 63 north of 40^th Street and on Olmsted County Road 22 over Hwy 14 west.  The work includes bridges over Highway 52 – 55^th Street Northwest, 41^st Street Northwest, 37^TH Street Northwest, 19^TH Street Northwest, 2^ND Street Southwest, and 6^th Street Southwest, Highway 14 east and 16^th Street Southwest so there will be lane restrictions on these roadways over Highway 52 as well.

Work will also take place on Highway 63 near Stewartville. MnDOT will clean 25 bridges during the effort.

MnDOT’s three bridge maintenance crews in southeast Minnesota flush more than 400 bridges during this spring maintenance effort.