Highway 280 reopening ahead of State Fair after $34 million overhaul

After months of detours and construction, drivers will soon be able to put a major traffic headache behind them.

MnDOT says Highway 280 is on track to reopen Friday, just in time for one of the busiest travel periods of the year as thousands of Minnesotans head to the Minnesota State Fair.

The $34 million project transformed a three-mile stretch of Highway 280 between Interstate 94 and Highway 36, replacing aging pavement and upgrading deteriorating guardrails and barriers.

From a distance, the roadway already appears nearly ready for traffic, with crews wrapping up final work such as striping and finishing touches.

MnDOT said it’s a total transformation. 

“It looked like a jigsaw puzzle,” said MnDOT Project Engineer Clay Roessler. “There were so many patches on this stretch of road, where we went in and basically overhauled all the pavement. So it’s going to ride real...