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That massive three-year construction project on Highway 52 is taking another step forward and will open new lanes of traffic soon.

If you've driven between Rochester and the Twin Cities on Highway 52 anytime in the last year and a half, you know that the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has been working on a huge construction project from north of Zumbrota to just south of Cannon Falls.

In fact, traffic has been reduced to a single lane on that nearly 7-mile stretch since earlier this spring while crews reconstruct the southbound lanes of that busy highway. If you're tired of those sometimes inevitable traffic slowdowns, there's good news: MnDOT is getting ready to open those new lanes!

In a release Thursday, MnDOT said that they're holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the new rebuilt interchange with Highway-57 at Hader on at 10 a.m., on Friday, Nov. 4 at the new interchange. The northbound exit and entrance ramps of the interchange and Highway 57/County Road 8 will open after the ceremony.

Blacktop being paved along Highway-57 near Hader. (Minnesota Department of Transportation)
Blacktop being paved along Highway-57 near Hader. (Minnesota Department of Transportation)
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And here's more good news: Just a few days later, both the southbound on and off-ramps and the new southbound lanes will all open for traffic!

That's a major accomplishment in that multi-year project that reconstructed the southbound lanes beginning 2.2 miles south of Highway 19 in Cannon Falls and proceeding south for nearly 7 miles to just north of Goodhue Co. Rd. 7.

You can read MORE about the entire project HERE.

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