MnDOT District 8

Ribbon-cutting celebrates completion of nearly $50 million Willmar Wye rail bypass project

October 25, 2022

Ribbon-cutting celebrates completion of nearly $50 million Willmar Wye rail bypass project
WILLMAR—It has taken more than a decade, but the wait is finally over. The Willmar Connector and Industrial Access Project—a nearly $50 million railroad bypass project—is completed and ready to receive train traffic. Dignitaries from various partners involved in the project, along with local, regional and state government officials, gathered in Willmar on Tuesday for a ribbon-cutting and train ride to celebrate the accomplishment that is the Willmar Wye. . . . “We are already seeing

MnDOT pauses safety project on Highways 23 and 9 in New London after public concerns

December 8, 2021

MnDOT pauses safety project on Highways 23 and 9 in New London after public concerns
NEW LONDON—A safety improvement project at state Highways 23 and 9 by New London has been paused as the Minnesota Department of Transportation District 8 re-evaluates the plans following ongoing concerns from the New London City Council and others in the public. “We’ve made the decision to step back to have more discussion with the community and other stakeholders to assure all perspectives of the project are considered,” said Jon Huseby, District 8 engineer, in a news release

Snow slows downs U.S. Highway 12 completion in Willmar

October 27, 2020

Snow slows downs U.S. Highway 12 completion in Willmar
WILLMAR—The early arrival of winter, or at least a sneak peek of it, has caused a delay in the completion of the realignment of U.S. Highway 12 on the western edge of Willmar, a part of the Willmar Wye railroad bypass project. According to the weekly wye update released Monday by the Minnesota Department of Transportation District 8, the new Highway 12 probably won’t be open for traffic until mid-November. It had been hoped that portion of the project would be complete by the end of October. Read

Highway 23 gap projects moving forward

October 19, 2020

Highway 23 gap projects moving forward
WILLMAR—Progress continues to be made to construct the four-lane “gaps” on Minnesota Highway 23 between New London and Richmond ahead of the original schedule. Plans are on track to construct the south and north gaps in a three-year span, from 2022 through 2024, Jon Huseby, District 8 engineer, Minnesota Department of Transportation, told members of the Area Transportation Partnership Oct. 9. Read the full article by the West Central Tribune.

‘Gaps,’ intersection safety among issues emerging in freight study

October 19, 2020

‘Gaps,’ intersection safety among issues emerging in freight study
WILLMAR—Some familiar issues are emerging as the District 8 office of the Minnesota Department of Transportation looks at how to improve intermodal freight movement in the southwest counties of the state. Safety is chief among them: The district has a high rate of severe accidents at its high-traffic intersections, Lindsey Bruer, planning director for District 8, told members of the district’s Area Transportation Partnership at its Oct. 9 meeting. She said the crash record was consistently

Willmar Wye road construction reaches milestone

July 22, 2020

Willmar Wye road construction reaches milestone
WILLMAR—In just over 365 days, the site of what will become the Willmar Rail Connector and Industrial Access Project, or the Willmar Wye, went from farm fields and open spaces to an active construction site where one can already find most of the realigned—but unpaved—U.S. Highway 12 and the beginnings of two new highway bridges on Highway 12 and Minnesota Highway 40. “It has been going fairly well,” said Paul Rasmussen, project manager from the Minnesota Department of Transportation
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