MnDOT Unveils Plan for Highway 53 Reroute

VIRGINIA - The Highway 53 Relocation Project is becoming more of a reality after a big announcement from the Minnesota Department of Transportation.Based on an agreement with a mining company in 1960, a key stretch of U.S. Highway 53 must be removed by 2017 to make way for the expansion of a taconite ore mine.MnDOT narrowed it down to one route and announced it is recommending the E2 route as the preferred alternative for the project.MnDOT leaders call E2 the most visually stunning of all the options.This alternative is the northernmost route.Plans include a 1,100 ft. bridge across an old mine pit making it the tallest bridge in the state at 200 feet high."This will be one of the challenges shall we proceed with E2," said Patrick Huston, project director.This path stands out from an engineering and cost point of view."Alignment E2 emerged as a recommendation based on engineering and technical merritt," Huston said.E2 also has easement terms MnDOT could agree to.Huston said, "Moving forward with this, we are looking at permanent easeness.  That's the goal of this project so this doesn't have to move again."Each alternative presentes construction challenges, but overall, E2 is the least complicated to build and has the lowest long term maintenance costs, according to transportation officials.All proposed routes include funding and utility relocation concerns."It's going to be different and we are going to have to work hard together to make this work.  They have very limited options to get from central facilities to downtown Virginia," Huston said.The estimated total cost of E2 would be around $220 million. E1A is estimated at $385 million and M1 at $460 million.Huston said, "We are committed to building this project."It's a massive undertaking that needs to be done no matter the cost."As we move ahead, we'll be making increasing level of commitment towards this direction," Huston said. That's because transportation experts are convinced the E2 alternative offers the most workable challenges and lower cost.We will know more details on the project after the environmental impact statement is published which will be in early 2015.Construction is set to start in the fall of 2015. The completion date is still scheduled for May 5, 2017, but it is subject to change.