Highway 52 lane closures for bridge cleaning begin May 18 in Rochester
May 13—ROCHESTER — The Minnesota Department of Transportation bridge maintenance crews will begin cleaning bridges on Sunday evening, May 18, 2025, on U.S. Highway 52 in Rochester.
There will be overnight lane closures as work takes place from 8 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. beginning the evening of May 18 through the morning of May 22. During that work, sand, debris and other material that accumulated during winter are swept up before crews use fresh water in high pressure pumps to spray down the gutter lines and joints of the bridges, according to a statement from MnDOT.
Motorists can expect brief traffic delays with lane closures. Flaggers directing traffic will be in some of the areas and there will be short-term ramp closures in the Civic Center Drive area during the overnight hours.
MnDOT's three bridge maintenance crews in southeast Minnesota flush more than 400 bridges during this spring maintenance effort, MnDOT said.
MnDOT will clean 25 bridges during this effort. Work will take place on Highway 52 from 55th Street Northwest to the Highway 52/63 interchange in south Rochester, as well as on Highway 63 north of 40th Street and on Olmsted County Road 22 over Highway 14 West. The work includes bridges over Highway 52 at 55th Street Northwest, 41st Street Northwest, 37th Street Northwest, 19th Street Northwest, Second Street Southwest, Sixth Street Southwest, Highway 14 East and 16th Street Southwest.
Work will also take place on Highway 63 near Stewartville.
Motorists may encounter lane closures or lane shifts, uneven road surfaces, equipment and other unexpected obstacles when driving near or through work zones. MnDOT advises motorists to:
* Find up-to-date information about traffic and road conditions at 511mn.org.
* Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
* Go hands-free and minimize other distractions.
* Follow posted speed limits; the fine for speeding in a work zone is $300.
* Avoid making lane changes within work zones.
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