Eastbound I-90 ramps at Hwy 169 near Blue Earth open July 25

MANKATO, Minn. – Motorists are advised that the eastbound Interstate 90 exit and entrance ramps at the Highway 169 interchange near Blue Earth are expected to open to traffic by 10 p.m. on Thursday, July 25, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Additionally, the following traffic changes will occur over the next few weeks:

The lane restrictions on Highway 169 at the north end of Blue Earth will be removed on July 25.
Traffic on both eastbound and westbound I-90 from approximately one mile west of Blue Earth to one mile east of Blue Earth will be one lane in each direction for approximately two weeks.
Traffic from one mile east of Highway 169 near Blue Earth to one mile east of Faribault County Road 23 will be maintained with two-way (head-to-head) traffic, one lane in each direction, in the westbound lanes.
The eastbound I-90 exit ramp at Faribault County Road 17 is expected to open in early August; the entrance ramp will open in early September.
The exit ramp at Faribault County Road 23 remains closed to traffic until late September; the entrance ramp will close in early August.
The exit ramp from eastbound I-90 to Highway 22 south of Wells is expected to close in early August.

The eastbound and westbound I-90 rest areas located just west of Blue Earth remain closed as pavement in the parking areas will be replaced. The eastbound I-90 rest area is scheduled to open in mid-August, the westbound in mid-October.
The project is expected to be complete in late-October, weather permitting.

Project information, benefits, and costs

MnDOT is resurfacing approximately 20 miles of I-90 from Highway 169 near Blue Earth to Highway 22 south of Wells. This is the second year of a two-year project. Construction this year includes resurfacing eastbound I-90, as well as ramps, bridges, culverts, and lighting along the project. Pavement at the eastbound and westbound I-90 rest areas west of Blue Earth will also be improved as part of this year’s project, along with sidewalk to meet Americans with Disability Act standards. Construction on the westbound lanes of I-90 was completed in 2023.

To commemorate the completion of I-90 in 1978, concrete panels near Blue Earth were tinted gold, reminiscent of the ‘Golden Spike’ that symbolized completion of the nation’s first transcontinental railroad in 1869. In 2006, when I-90 needed repaving, most of the golden panels were paved over. As part of this project, the golden panels were reestablished in their same locations across both the eastbound and westbound lanes of I-90.

Benefits of the project include improved pavement, bridges, drainage, and lighting. Other benefits include improved sidewalks at the Blue Earth Rest Areas to comply with the Americans with Disability Act. PCiRoads is the prime contractor on the $90,100,000.00 project.

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