Major Rochester bridges to close for MnDOT work

Drivers in Rochester will hit a new round of bridge closures starting Monday, May 4, as Minnesota begins sealing work on state bridges across Olmsted County. (dot.state.mn.us) The Minnesota Department of Transportation said the project runs from May 4 into August and covers 34 bridges in Mower and Olmsted counties. Most sites will lose a lane while crews work, but the agency said full bridge and ramp closures are planned only at the Highway 52 and Highway 14 interchange in Rochester. (dot.state.mn.us) The Rochester list includes the northbound and southbound Highway 52 bridges over Highway 63 and the Zumbro River, the 16th Street Southwest, 6th Street Southwest and 2nd Street Southwest bridges over Highway 52, the Highway 14 bridges over the Zumbro River and Bear Creek, and crossings at 19th, 37th, 41st, 55th and 65th streets Northwest. MnDOT said exact work locations and traffic impacts will be posted on 511mn.org, and interchange detours will be announced ahead of time. (dot.state.mn.us) The work is basic bridge maintenance, not a rebuild: crews seal cracks and joints to keep water and salt out of the concrete and steel. MnDOT said the goal is to extend bridge life, which is why the agency is touching dozens of structures in one season instead of waiting for bigger repairs later. (dot.state.mn.us) The timing lands in the middle of a crowded construction season around Rochester. MnDOT’s 2026 southeast Minnesota program also lists a new Highway 14 and Olmsted County Road 44 interchange beginning in May 2026, while the city is already managing Link bus rapid transit construction and North Broadway reconstruction work. (dot.state.mn.us) (rochestermn.gov) South of the city, drivers are already dealing with the third and final year of the Interstate 90 and Highway 52 interchange rebuild. MnDOT said westbound I-90 traffic shifted April 1, the westbound I-90 bridge closed until fall, and Highway 52 at I-90 was fully detoured for four days in early April for bridge demolition. (dot.state.mn.us) Transit riders are navigating construction, too. Rochester Public Transit’s spring 2026 schedules take effect April 26, and the city tells riders to check real-time alerts and detours through its service alerts page and Transit app as conditions change. (rochestermn.gov 1) (rochestermn.gov 2) City officials also point residents to Rochester’s construction impacts map for street, pedestrian and parking disruptions tied to local projects. MnDOT’s message for the bridge work is similar: expect lane shifts, slow traffic and work-zone speed enforcement as the May closures begin. (rochestermn.gov) (dot.state.mn.us)