Update for June 26-29: Road Construction and Access to Riverland Austin Campus

Weekend I-90 detour planned for Hwy 218 bridge demolition in Austin, June 26-29

Interstate 90 motorists will have a weekend-long detour June 26-29 while construction crews demolish the Highway 218 north/14th St NW bridge in Austin, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Demolition crews will be removing the remaining bridge at Highway 218 north near Riverland Community College. Crews removed the adjacent bridge in April and have been building the replacement bridge at that site. Last week, crews set beams for the new I-90 bridge.

Plan ahead this weekend for the demolition schedule:
• 8 p.m. Friday, June 26 to 6 a.m. Monday, June 29, Highway 218 north (14th Street NW) near Riverland Community College

Highway 218 north bridge detours and routes:
- I-90 through traffic in each direction will travel up and down the ramps to continue.
- I-90 westbound traffic wanting to reach 14th Street Northwest near Riverland Community College will use Exit 178A (4th Street Northwest/Mower County Road 45), turn left to go south on 4th St NW to 4th Ave NW, where they turn right (west) to 14th Street Northwest.
- I-90 eastbound traffic wanting to reach Highway 218 north will exit at 178A (4th Street Northwest/Mower County Road 45), turn left (north) on County Road 45, turn left (west) on Mower County Road 27 (18th Avenue Northwest) to Highway 218.
- Highway 218 southbound traffic wanting to reach I-90 westbound and eastbound will turn left (east) on Mower County Road 27 (18th Avenue Northwest) to 4th Street Northwest/Mower County Road 45 south (right turn) to I-90.
- Motorists wanting to reach 14th Street Northwest south of I-90 will travel east on Mower County Road 27 (18th Avenue Northwest) to 4th St NW to 4th Ave NW, where they turn right (west) to 14th Street Northwest.
- Motorists at 14th Street Northwest can reach the north side of I-90 by turning left (east) on 4th Ave NW to 4th St NW, turning left (north) to reach Highway 218 north.
- Motorists at 14th Street Northwest wanting to reach I-90 west can go south to Oakland Avenue west/Highway 105 to reach I-90.

For more information or to sign up for project updates, visit the project website.

Road Construction Near Austin Campus (before and after June 26-29 project)

Campus Remains Open

Road construction near Riverland's Austin Campus may increase travel times. Please allow extra time for travel and review alternate routes before visiting campus.

Riverland is working closely with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to help students, employees, and visitors navigate road construction near the Austin Campus.

Construction near Interstate 90 and Highway 218 (14th Street NW) may impact how you access campus. This is part of a larger infrastructure project in the Austin area and includes detours, lane shifts, and temporary traffic changes.

View the road construction map for alternate routes and access to Riverland's Austin Campus.

View Road Construction Map

Driving Directions During Construction

The I-90 Riverland Exits (177) are currently open. The 14th Street bridge is also accessible from the North and South. If this should change during construction, consider the following alternative routes.

From I-90 Westbound

Exit at Highway 105 / West Oakland Avenue (Exit 175)
Travel east on Oakland Avenue
Turn left (north) onto 14th Street NW
Continue to Riverland campus

From I-90 Eastbound

Exit at 4th Street NW / County Road 45 (Exit 178A)
Travel north, then west on 18th Avenue NW
Connect to Highway 218 / 14th Street NW
Continue to campus

From the North (Highway 218 Southbound)

Expect lane shifts
Follow posted signage to access 14th Street NW
Use Oakland Avenue detours if needed

From the South (Highway 218 Northbound)

Use this route instead:
- 18th Avenue NW
- 4th Street NW
- Oakland Avenue
Follow signage to reach campus

What to Expect

Increased travel time, especially during peak hours
Clearly marked detours and directional signage
Continued access to Riverland using alternate routes

Construction Details

Motorists in Austin using 14th Street Northwest are currently being detoured as construction crews work on sanitary and storm sewer replacement, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The construction work on 14th Street NW will remove all of the pavement and the road will be excavated down to replace the utilities for the city of Austin as part of the I-90 Austin bridges project. The closure will be in place through the fall.

Motorists who are southbound on Highway 218 in northwest Austin will need to turn east (left) at 18th Avenue Northwest and travel to 4th Street Northwest to turn south (right). Motorists who want to travel on I-90 can use the on-ramps at 4th Street in each direction. Motorists wanting to reach 14th Street NW on the south side of I-90 should continue south on 4th Street to 4th Avenue Northwest to go west (right) to reach 14th St. Westbound I-90 motorists should use Exit 178A at 4th Street NW to reach 14th Street NW on the south side of I-90 by Riverland Community College. Eastbound I-90 motorists should continue to use 4th Street NW (Exit 178A) to reach the north side of I-90.

Northbound motorists on 14th Street NW south of I-90 can reach the north side of I-90 and Highway 218 north by merging onto I-90 eastbound and exit at 4th Street NW (Exit 178A) to travel north on 4th Street.

The westbound ramps at 14th Street NW will close on June 12. The eastbound ramps will remain open. During I-90 closures in June, all ramps will be open for detours up and down while I-90 is closed for single day or weekend bridge related work.

Other traffic changes will be announced in advance as construction progresses.

Project Updates