Highway 13 Construction Set to Begin in May for Mendota Heights Area

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect a corrected map from the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Highway 13 will be reconstructed from Interstate 35W in Burnsville north to West St. Paul. The only exception will be the area of roadway north of Mendota and South of 35E, which will be rebuilt in 2014-2015. A previous map showed the area of roadway between Interstate 494 and Highway 110 to also be excluded. 

Highway 13 through Mendota and north of Interstate 35E will be under construction this summer as part of a project starting May 7. The Minnesota Department of Transportation plans to resurface and repair the heavily trafficked road from Interstate 35W in the south to West St. Paul.

South of Interstate 35E and north of Mendota will be excluded from this year's construction but is scheduled to be rebuilt in 2014-2015.

Once completed, Highway 13 will boast a smoother, longer-lasting asphalt surface, new pedestrian crossings that are ADA accessible, new curb and gutter, and better drainage, according to MnDOT. The project is expected to cost $11.4 million in state and federal funds. 

The project's contractors will determine a schedule about two weeks out, providing specifics of where they will start and when construction will begin in particular segments of the highway, according to MnDOT Liaison J.P. Gillach.

The project is part of a $357 million effort called "Better Roads for Minnesota," a longterm MnDOT initiative to revamp 500 miles of roads around the state that have been found to be in "poor" condition. 

MnDOT officials told the Burnsville City Council last week that the construction itself would be scheduled to avoid traffic snarls and backups as much as possible. Much of the work will be concentrated over nights and weekends. The road will be at least partially accessible at all times, though drivers should expect temporary lane closures and detours as work progresses, said Dave Herzog, a resident engineer from MnDOT.

City officials have greeted the project as a mixed blessing, particularly in Mendota and Lilydale where drainage problems and washouts are a reality of life on the bluff, but most business relies on Highway 13 for access. 

All and residences will remain accessible throughout the project—even those that have only a single point of entry like .

Get Updates

Residents can sign up for e-mail updates with info on closures and detour routes, or check Mendota Heights Patch for regular news on this project and other construction in the area. 

Business owners with questions are encouraged to contact MnDOT Liaison J.P. Gillach, who is reachable at 651-234-7701 or james.gillach@state.mn.us.