Short Hwy 61 traffic delays June 20-21 at CP Rail bridge south of Red Wing
RED WING, Minn. – Motorists near the Highway 61 bridge over the Canadian Pacific Railway south of Red Wing will encounter short-term traffic delays June 20-21 during daytime hours while construction crews place beams on the new bridge, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
On Thursday, June 20, crews will be setting beams from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Traffic will remain open during the work, but the brief delays will occur as trucks arrive with the beams and when the beams are lifted by crane and placed on the new bridge.
During that time, the flagging operation will work this way:
- Flaggers will reduce traffic to one lane when the truck carrying a beam pulls up. Traffic will take turns in each direction crossing the bridge during this time. (10 – 15 minutes)
- Flaggers will stop traffic in both directions when the beam is being lifted and set (5 minutes)
- Flaggers will open up Hwy 61 in both directions once the beam is set and the truck is out of the way. (Will likely stay open in both directions for 15 – 30 minutes)
The same process will occur on Friday, June 21, starting at 8:30 a.m., and being complete by 4 p.m. A total of nine beams will be set during the two days. It’s possible the work could be done sooner, but much depends on the rate of work, as well as time spent waiting for gaps between trains to ensure a safe operation.
The new Highway 61 bridge over the Canadian Pacific Railway is being constructed to the north of the existing bridge, which allows two-way traffic during construction. The original bridge was built in 1955 and remains in use during construction. It will be removed after traffic switches to the new bridge.
The project is expected to be completed October 2024. The contractor for the $10.2 million project is Redstone Construction, LLC.
Stay connected, informed
- Learn more about the Highway 61 project, check out other MnDOT southeast Minnesota construction projects and sign up for construction updates.
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