A Glimpse of Steele County

The bright orange cones along Interstate 35 in Owatonna signify one thing: the start of the summer road construction season in Minnesota and around the country.
And it is going to be a busy road construction season in Steele County. Medford will be completing its work, while Blooming Prairie will be starting a massive main street project after its annual Fourth of July celebration.
Along with that there are five projects involving I-35 and Highway 14. Steele County also has various work of its own going on around the area. At least an estimated $65 million is being spent on state projects in the area. That doesn’t include the amount being spent on county projects.
Across the state there will be 290 transportation construction projects that Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle and Minnesota Department of Transportation engineers believe will help preserve and maintain state highways, bridges and other transportation infrastructure.
I, for one, am glad to see the road construction starting in order to fix the many rough roads around the area. Many roads need a lot of work, but like anything else it costs money to fix up these roads. The hope is that the state, the county and others will devise a plan to fix more of these roads in the future. The bottom line is that Minnesota roads need improvement.
The construction season also brings headaches for many of the impatient drivers who travel on our roads. Fair warning to travelers: there will be delays around Steele County and across the state, so be prepared and make the necessary arrangements.
Granted, it will be a busy road-construction season, but let’s also make it a safe season for travelers and especially be aware of those who are working on the side of the road.