85th Street Bridge Repair Triggers Highway 52 Detour

The 2026 run of the Minnesota State Fair starts this Thursday, but if you're heading up to the Fair this weekend, your return to Rochester could take some extra time.

To say that the Great Minnesota Get-Together is popular with Minnesotans might be understating things a bit. We all know that our state fair has routinely been ranked as the best in the entire country, with the North Star State taking that honor again in several national surveys.

Nearly 2 Million People Attended the Minnesota State Fair Last Year

A LOT of Minnesotans head to the Fair each year, as well. According to attendance figures, the 2025 Minnesota State Fair drew 1,940,869 people over its 12-day run last year, making it the fifth-best-attended State Fair ever.

ALSO INTERESTING: You'll Never Guess Which Artist Holds the All-Time Attendance Record at the Minnesota State Fair

And while many of those going to the State Fair live in the Twin Cities metro, a lot of residents of southeast Minnesota head up to the Fair each year as well. But a construction project along Highway 52 set for this weekend could make your return trip to Rochester way longer this year.

Highway 52 Southbound Will Close Near Rochester This Weekend

That's because the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) says it is planning to close a section of southbound lanes of Highway 52 near the 85th Street bridge from Friday, August 28th, through early Monday morning on August 31st, 2026.

If you recall, a section of the 85th Street bridge was damaged last fall when it was hit by a dump truck. Now, to repair the bridge, MnDOT says it will need to completely close the southbound lanes of Highway 52 around that area this weekend, beginning at Exit 64 in Oronoco.

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That means if you're traveling south back to Rochester, you'll encounter a massive detour on your way home from the State Fair during its opening weekend. Here's the path on which MnDOT says the detour will take you:

Here's the Highway 52 Detour Around the 85th Street Bridge

From Highway 52 southbound, take Exit 64
Turn left on Olmsted County Road 112/100th Street NW
Turn right on Olmsted County Road 112/18th Avenue NW
Turn right on 55th Street NW, then take the ramp to Highway 52.

MnDOT says that the detour will be in place starting on Friday, August 28, at 7 p.m. through 5 a.m. on Monday, August 31, 2026. There may be other short-term lane closures and detours with this project as well, MnDOT says. It's expected to be completely done in October.