(ABC 6 News) – The Minnesota Department of Transportation’s first major construction project of 2025 is set to begin with the demolition of the eastbound I-90 bridge over Highway 52.

RELATED: Date moved up for I-90 lane changes near Rochester as MnDOT prepares for bridge demolition

The two roads intersect just north of Marion Township; a convenient spot for travelers between Fillmore county and beyond and Rochester and the Twin Cities.

However, it’s more than that for the residents and businesses of the town: it’s critical.

Jeff Bagniewski has owned a small gas station and convenience store off Highway 52 for about 16 years.

Most of his business comes from motorists along I-90 and 52.

“If you live down Chatfield, Preston-way and head to somewhere in Rochester obviously you’re going on this road here,” he says. “And then a lot of traffic say coming out of the Twin Cities area or north heading to places like Lanesboro or tourist spots, that comes down 52 here also.”

However, with the construction just up the road, Bagniewski is getting ready for most of that business to get cut off.

“They’re called convenience stores for a reason, it’s convenience,” he says. “They can stop anywhere and if they’re not going by, they’re not gonna stop.”

The project – a bridge replacement and rerouting of traffic along Highway 52 – is going to shut down the highway right outside Bagniewski’s shop for the next few months.

MnDOT officials have had their eye on the area for several years now.

“Lots of heavy freight traffic comes through here, lots of commuter traffic,” says Mike Dougherty, a MnDOT spokesperson for Southeast Minnesota. “It’s an important confluence of all sorts of different traffic.”

As a result, the intersection also sees a lot of crashes.

Currently, the set up of the intersection forces drivers going south on 52 and wanting to get on eastbound I-90 to cross over multiple lanes of northbound traffic, where other drivers are traveling at highway speeds.

One of the end results of the project is to create a new access to I-90 east, which will remove that risk.

Unfortunately, in the meantime, the access to the town will be limited.

“It is gonna be disruptive,” Dougherty says. “That’s just the unfortunate reality of it.”

However, those like Bagniewski have been preparing for this for a while, and are ready to weather it out.

“It’s gonna be a weak year but you know I’ll adjust my payroll,” he says. “I’ll also maybe adjust my hours a little bit but I will not close. I’ve been around here long enough that we’ll make it work.”

Further details on the I-90/52 project can be found here.