ST. PAUL – Minnesota’s road construction season kicked off on Thursday.

Lt. Gov. Tina Smith and Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle announced that the state will undertake 246 road projects this year, at a cost of $930 million. That’s down from 290 projects last year at a cost of $1 billion.

MnDOT warned that under the current funding formula, MnDOT will experience a funding shortfall in 2018 that will reduce road and bridge funding by 45 percent.

Area projects include:

Highway 4 in St. James (reconstructing road, add mini roundabouts and back-in parking) at a cost of $12.5 million, construction period 2016-2018;

Highway 14, from Nicollet to North Mankato, expand to four lanes, and a new interchange with Hwy 111; 2016 cost $18.5 million; two-months detour in July-August.

Hwy 68, Brown-Redwood County Line to Hwy 4: Resurface; cost $1.63 million. Work will be done in August 2016, causing lane closures and delays.