Minnesota Department of Transportation

511 Travel Info

Hwy 10, 29 and 71—Wadena

Wadena and Otter Tail counties

Work, traffic plans

Three-year look ahead

The Wadena project will take three construction seasons to complete from June 2025 to August 2027. Prep work is underway. Visit the construction home page for current 2025 impacts.

Overall, motorists will encounter changes as they navigate through Wadena. Access to/from the local roads and adjacent connections will change; motorists will follow road signs to the next open access. Detours will be necessary on this project to work beneath the road.

Wadena is open

Access to those that live, work and visit areas along the project will be open and maintained at all times. However, expect changes:

  • Use of a side streets, alley or back/side entrances
  • Expect gravel surfaces or temporary entrances
  • Pedestrians will have sidewalk closures with detours (walk adjacent side of road)
  • Plan ahead and consider alternatives for you, your family, co-workers and businesses

Map of work areas for each year.
MnDOT will improve these areas on Hwy 10, 29 and 71. Select map to enlarge.

Tentative schedule at a glance

All information is tentative and subject to change by contractor or MnDOT. Also, weather and material supplies play a big role on schedule changes.

Dates

Map color

Construct

Impacts

June-November 2025

2025 work areas map (PNG)

Hwy 10 - Work west of Hwy 71

  • Excavate and build up road materials, replace pipes, construct new west segments of road, entrances, half of the Co. Rd. 92 roundabout and the north access to Co. Rd. 75

Hwy 71

Reconstruct Birch Ave. N to Elm Ave. N

  • Reconstruct road and install underground storm sewer and other city utilities
  • Remove pedestrian tunnel at old hospital
  • Update or install sidewalk

Resurface Elm Ave. N to north of Alfred St.

  • Underground structures
  • Center left-turn lane to Alfred St.
  • Sidewalk/trail to Juniper Ave.

 

Hwy 10, Hwy 71

Open one lane each way:

  • Expect narrow lanes, lane shifts, flaggers
  • Access maintained and open to businesses and residents along the project; however expect changes and gravel surfaces

Detours plans:

  • Mid-June - early August: Hwy 71 closed to through traffic between Hwy 10 and Juniper Ave. to work on underground utilities
    • Hwy 71 detour via Hwy 10, Co. Rd. 20 and Juniper Ave. Watch for temporary all-way stop at Juniper Ave. and Co. Rd. 20. Detour map (Google) Detour map (PNG)
  • July 8 to late August: Hwy 10 closed to through traffic between Hwy 71 and Otter Tail Co. Rd. 75 to excavate and replace poor soils, and install drainage pipe
    • Hwy 10 detour via Hwy 71, Hwy 29 and Co. Rd. 75 Hwy 10 detour (Google) Detour map (PNG)
    • Access detour (three weeks during Hwy 10 detour):
      • Co. Rd. 75 access closed north of Hwy 10 to reconstruct connection. Detour via Hwy 10 to Otter Tail Co Rd. 19 Bluffton and Ottertail Co. Rd. 76. Detour map (Google) Detour map (PNG)
  • Early August-early September: Hwy 71 closed to through traffic between Hwy 10 and Leaf River Rd. to work on underground storm pipes.
    • Hwy 71 detour extends north of Wadena via Hwy 10, Co. Rd. 20 and Leaf River Rd. Detour map (Google) Detour map (PNG)

April-early November 2026

   2026 work areas map

Hwy 10 - west of Hwy 71

  • Complete work: excavate and build-up road materials, replace pipes, construct road, medians and entrances, includes J-turn at Co. Rd. 75 and roundabout at hospital

Hwy 10 - east of Hwy 71

  • Excavate and build-up road materials, construct segments of road, entrances and half of roundabout at Harry Rich Rd., includes pipe bridges at Union Creek and Whiskey Creek

Hwy 71 - south of Hwy 10

Franklin to Aldrich Av. S

  • Resurface and update the road
  • Update or install sidewalks
  • Storm sewer work
  • Update or replace signals at Hwy 29, Bryant Ave. S, Aldrich Ave.

Hwy 29
Hwy 71 to west limits of Wadena

  • Resurface road,
  • Update/add sidewalk
  • Storm sewer work

Hwy 10, Hwy 71, Hwy 29

Open one lane each way:

  • Narrow lanes, lane shifts, flaggers
  • Access maintained and open to businesses and residents along the project; however expect changes and gravel surfaces

Tentative detours used at times:

  • Hwy 10 closed between Co. Rd. 4 and Harry Rich Dr. to excavate deep and replace poor soils and install Union Creek pipe (about five weeks)
  • Hwy 10 closed between Co. Rd. 4 in Wadena and Oink Joint Rd. to replace Whiskey Creek pipe and other underground work (about six weeks)
  • Co. Rd. 75 access closed south of Hwy 10 to reconstruct connection and complete J-turn (about three weeks )

April-August 2027

2027 work areas map

Hwy 10 - east of Co. Rd. 20 to Oink Joint Rd.

  • Complete work: construct road, medians and entrances, includes roundabout at Harry Rich Rd.
  • Restripe urban portion to four lane from Co. Rd. 20 to Co. Rd. 4
  • Wrap up entire project

Hwy 10

Open one lane, each way

  • Narrow lanes, lane shifts, flaggers
  • No detours at this time

Winter season

All work will suspend over the winter season. All lanes and accesses will be open on Hwy 10, 29 and 71. Off-road work will occur year round.

For current road information on Hwy 10, 29 or 71, check 511mn.org