MANKATO – Highway 15 in the city of New Ulm will be under construction beginning May 1, the Minnesota Department of Transportation has announced. Traffic traveling through the city will be detoured to 20th Street/Nicollet County Road 37 and Highway 14.

Local traffic will be able to use Highway 15/Broadway during construction, but should expect intermittent block closures to accommodate underground and signal work and outside lane closures for work on pedestrian ramps and sidewalks.

The Highway 15 project extends from Highway 14 to 170th Street and includes resurfacing the deteriorating pavement on Highway 15, adding center two-way left turn lane between Bridge Street and Cottonwood Street and repairing two bridges. Improvements to sidewalks and traffic signals will be made as well as some utility work.

The bridge work at the Cottonwood River and the Little Cottonwood River will require Highway 15 traffic to be detoured for several weeks and could begin as early as May 8. The detour will consist of Brown County Roads 13 and 24. The bridge contractor has indicated that they will work to complete the Cottonwood River Bridge first so that the detour can be shortened.

The New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a construction open house for businesses from 8 to 9 a.m. Friday, April 28 at the Best Western and the city of New Ulm will provide weekly updates at www.ci.new-ulm.mn.us/ .

Central Specialties, Inc., of Alexandria was awarded the project with a bid of $7,067,108.