Minnesota Department of Transportation

511 Travel Info

I-90 bridge reconstruction

Austin

Traffic impacts

I-90 overnight detour at 4th St.

Scheduled 8 p.m. on July 15 to 6 a.m. on July 16 for concrete bridge deck pour

  • Eastbound I-90 traffic will be detoured off I-90 at Highway 105/Oakland Avenue bridge (Exit 175) on the west side of Austin and follow Highway 105 south and east to Mower County Road 28 east to Highway 218 north and then reconnect with I-90. Eastbound motorists will be able to exit further east at Highway 218 (14th Street Northwest), which is Exit 177, but no travel is allowed beyond on I-90.
  • Westbound I-90 traffic will be detoured off I-90 at Highway 218 south (Exit 180 B) on the east side of Austin. Travel south on Highway 218 to Mower County Road 28 west to Highway 105 north where it will reconnect with I-90 on the west side of Austin at the Highway 105/Oakland Avenue bridge. Westbound traffic will be able reach Austin destinations by using exits at:
    • Oakland Place Northeast (Exit 180 A)
    • 11th Drive Northeast (Exit 179)
    • 6th Street Northeast (178B) - No traffic will be allowed past this exit during the nightly closures.
Traffic impacts in Austin during bridge work
Traffic impacts in Austin during bridge work - click map to view larger

I-90 eastbound ramps at 4th St. closed

Scheduled through mid-July 2025

  • Motorists can reach businesses using a temporary road on the east side of 4th St.
  • Motorists can use the Hwy 218/14th St. NW exit.

4th St. bridge closed and I-90 westbound ramps at 4th St. closed

Scheduled through fall 2025

I-90 westbound ramps at 4th St. NW will remain closed until the 4th St. bridge construction is completed in fall 2025.

  • Detour for I-90 westbound on-ramp if north of I-90, go west on 18th Ave. NW, south on Hwy 218 and exit to I-90.
  • Detour for I-90 westbound on-ramp if south of I-90, go west on W. Oakland Ave. and exit to I-90.
  • Detour for I-90 westbound off-ramp is to take the 14th St. NW/Hwy 218 north exit (Exit 177).
    • To reach 4th St. north of I-90, take a right onto Hwy 218 and a right on 18th Ave. NW which intersects with 4th St. NW.
    • To reach 4th St. south of I-90, take a left onto 14th St. NW, left on W. Oakland Ave/1st Ave. SW which intersects with 4th St. SW.

On-ramp to I-90 westbound from 6th St. NE closed

Scheduled through fall 2025

  • Detour for I-90 westbound on-ramp is to travel eastbound on I-90, exit at Exit 179 (11th Dr. NE), cross over and return to I-90 westbound.
  • The off-ramp from I-90 westbound to 6th St. NE is open and I-90 eastbound ramps are open.

I-90 westbound lanes are closed between W. Oakland Ave./Hwy 105 and Hwy 218/21st St. NE

Scheduled through fall 2025

I-90 traffic will be in the eastbound lanes with eastbound and westbound traffic using single lanes adjacent to each other. 

About this project

I-90 bridge reconstruction project map
I-90 bridge reconstruction project map

Summary of work

There are six sites along I-90 in Austin that have bridges that are scheduled to be replaced or repaired 2024 to 2026. In a separate, earlier, project, a bridge at 11th Dr. NE was replaced in 2017 and a bridge at 28th St. NE was replaced in 2021.

Which bridges are part of this project?

There are six sites along I-90 in Austin involved in the project with each having different needs.

2024-2025
Oakland Ave. W / Hwy 105

A new bridge was constructed at Oakland Ave. (Hwy 105) over I-90. The new bridge includes a wide walkway, which will connect to a future city/county trail. It opened to traffic on Oct. 18, 2024. View the design.

4th St. / Co. Rd. 45

A new interchange will be constructed to replace the current interchange. The new layout will provide for safer walkway crossings of I-90 and improved traffic flow. 4th St. will be closed for construction starting in the fall of 2024 and through the majority of the 2025 construction season. This construction is currently scheduled for 2024-2025. Construction of the new bridge is expected to be finished fall of 2025. View the design.

6th St. and Cedar River

Both I-90 bridges over 6th St. will be resurfaced and two new I-90 bridges over the Cedar River will be constructed. Work on the eastbound bridges was finished in fall of 2024. The I-90 westbound bridge work over 6th St. and the Cedar River will occur in the 2025 construction season.

2026
14th St. / Hwy 218 North

The two bridges at this location will be replaced by one bridge and roundabouts will be constructed at each ramp intersection with 14th St. The southbound bridge will stay open to the extent possible during construction. Short duration detours will be provided at 4th St. This construction is currently scheduled for 2026. View the proposed design.

21st St. / Hwy 218 South

The 21st St. bridge and the south ramps will be reconstructed. The new bridge crossing will provide a wide walkway and connections to local trails. 21st St. will be closed during construction. 11th Dr. and 28th St. will be available for short detours. This construction is currently scheduled for 2026. View the proposed design.

Why are they being replaced?

I-90 is an important national east-west transportation route that connects many population centers in the U.S. in the Austin area. I-90 was built in the 1950s and the structures are at the end of their useful design life.