Motorists are urged to use extra caution when driving through highway work zones during the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) leaders note that work will be suspended on projects over the holiday weekend, but drivers will still encounter lane closures and detours across the region.
Three highway projects in west central Minnesota may affect travel:
--Highway 10 east of Glyndon – Traffic is reduced to a single lane in each direction. Drivers traveling between the Fargo-Moorhead area and the Detroit Lakes area, including the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion in Rollag, may want to consider an alternate route during peak travel hours.
--Highway 29 south of Benson – Traffic is currently detoured to Highway 12, Swift County Road 31/Chippewa County Road 4 and Highway 40.
--Highway 29/Broadway in downtown Alexandria – Through-traffic is detoured around downtown Alexandria. All businesses remain accessible.
For the duration of the Labor Day holiday, and the remainder of the construction season, MnDOT urges drivers to:
--Stay alert, especially at night.
--Obey posted speed limits. Drivers who speed face a $300 fine.
--Expect work zones to constantly change. Day to day, you could experience lane shifts, closures or moving workers and vehicles.
--Stay off cell phones and mobile devices.
--Move over one lane, if possible, or reduce speed for stopped emergency or maintenance vehicles, including ambulance, fire, law enforcement or maintenance and construction vehicles.
--Use 511mn.org to plan trips and avoid delays.
