News Release

HIGHWAY 22 ST. PETER TO KASOTA WORK BEGINS

MANKATO, Minn. CHighway 22 near the Minnesota River at St. Peter has been closed since last fall for replacement of the river bridge. Beginning Thursday, September 23, the Highway 22 closure will expand from St. Peter to Riverbend Asphalt south of Kasota to accommodate grading, surfacing and replacing the Union Pacific Railroad bridge. The closure will be in place until mid-August 2000, when all of Highway 22 between St. Peter and Mankato is expected to be complete.

The contractors working on the various projects on Highway 22 plan to work until winter weather arrives. They will concentrate their efforts this fall on grading between U.S. Highway 169 in St. Peter south to LeSueur County Road 21. The U.P. Railroad bridge will be removed and a temporary Ashoofly@ will be built to carry train traffic until the new bridge is built.

Grading will continue next spring and expand from County Road 21 to Riverbend Asphalt. Surfacing and lighting will also take place next year along with the completion of the new railroad bridge.

Crane Creek Construction, Inc. of Owatonna was recently awarded the grading, surfacing and lighting project between St. Peter and Kasota with a bid of $4,333,193.35.

Motorists will continue to be detoured to U.S. Highway 169 until the completion of all of the Highway 22 projects in August 2000.

#####