Photo courtesy MnDOT / Southwest Minnesota

The U.S. Highway 71 Sanborn bridge project is nearly complete, and the detour is scheduled to be lifted by the end of Friday. Remaining work will be performed under traffic. Drivers are asked to use caution through the work zone while crews complete striping operations, rumble strips, and erosion control into next week.

The project included replacement of a 90-year-old bridge over the Cottonwood River south of Sanborn on US 71. The new bridge is wider with 12-foot driving lanes and 10-foot shoulders. Minor work took place on the approaches to improve drainage on the bridge, including reshaping the ditches and stream stabilization. New guardrail was installed and two wide, gravel passageways were added under each end of the bridge to encourage animals to traverse below the bridge, along the riverbank.

Benefits of the project include a wider bridge with improved drainage and enhanced safety. The cost of the project was $3.6 million, and Robert R. Schroeder Construction Co. was the prime contractor.