Highway 23 Willmar ramps project starts July 10

A Minnesota Department of Transportation project to construct three access ramps at the intersection of Highway 23 and Kandiyohi County Road 5 in Willmar gets underway Monday, July 10. Work is scheduled to be complete by October 6, 2023; however, start and end dates could change due to weather and other unforeseeable circumstances.

MnDOT is constructing three ramps at the intersection of Highway 23 and Kandiyohi County Road 5, including the northwest, northeast, and southwest corners. A ramp is already in place at the southeast corner of the intersection. Once the ramps are completed, Highway 23 will be resurfaced from the west end of the project to the east end.
Benefits of the project include enhanced safety for travelers and access to and from Highway 23 in southwest Willmar. Duininck, Inc., is the contractor and the project cost is approximately $2.5 million.

What travelers can expect

• Much of construction will take place off the roadway minimizing impacts to travelers
• Highway 23 travelers will encounter temporary and shifting shoulder and lane closures throughout the duration of the project; allow extra time during peak travel times
• Traffic barriers to protect the work zone will be placed as early as July 5; travelers should watch for workers and heavy equipment entering and exiting the roadway
• A flagging operation will guide travelers through the work zone during paving operations in mid-to-late September
• Access to the existing southeast ramp onto Highway 23 will not be affected
• During construction of the northeast and southwest ramps (first stage), the existing 19th Avenue Southwest intersection will not be affected
• During construction of the northwest ramp (second stage), the existing 19th Avenue Southwest intersection will allow right turns only for westbound traffic
• The existing 19th Avenue Southwest intersection with Highway 23 will close permanently at the completion of the northwest ramp