Eastbound Interstate 90 exit ramp at Faribault County Road 23 east of Blue Earth open Sept. 30
MANKATO, Minn. – The eastbound Interstate 90 exit ramp at Faribault County Road 23 east of Blue Earth is expected to open to traffic on Monday, September 30, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
I-90 traffic will remain two-way (head-to-head), one lane in each direction, in the westbound lanes from one mile east of Faribault County Road 23 to one mile east of Highway 22 (south of Wells), until mid-October.
The exit ramp from eastbound I-90 to Highway 22 south of Wells will remain closed until mid-October. Traffic is directed to exit at Faribault County Road 17 and use Faribault County Road 16 to Highway 22.
The eastbound and westbound I-90 rest areas located just west of Blue Earth remain closed until mid-October for replacement of pavement in the parking areas.
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 project.
Stay connected, informed
- Visit the I-90 project website for more information and to sign up for email and text message updates.
- Information will also be shared on the MnDOT South Central Minnesota Facebook group and follow us on X @mndotscentral.
- For real-time traffic and travel information in Minnesota, visit www.511mn.org or get the free smartphone app at Google Play or the App Store.
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