Highway 40 bridge
The delay occurred due to unforeseeable circumstances resulting from an early change in the design-build contracting process. Credit: Yinan Chen from Pixabay.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) in the US has announced a delay in the completion of the Highway 40 bridge in Willmar, part of the Willmar Wye project.

As a result of the delay, which occurred due to unforeseeable circumstances resulting from an early change in the design-build contracting process, Highway 40 will not reopen this month as originally planned.

Completion of the Highway 40 bridge has been rescheduled in 2020/21 and paving will take place next year.

MnDOT noted that the delay will not have any impact on the overall completion of the project, which is still scheduled for next year.

Focus will now remain on completing US Highway 12 and County Road 55.

Upon opening of these roads to traffic, the Highway 40 detour will change from County Road 7 and the existing US Highway 12 to County Road 55 and the realigned US Highway 12.

As part of the project, US Highway 12 will be realigned and the reconstruction of Highway 40 will take place, including two new bridges and two single-lane roundabouts.

This project will reduce at-grade crossing exposure and provide improved safety for travellers and increased multi-modal opportunities for shippers.

Hoffman Construction Company, Lunda Construction Company, and Bolton & Menk are serving as major participants of the team working on the project.

Willmar Wye is the commonly referred to name for the Willmar Rail Connector & Industrial Access project, a public-private partnership between the MnDoT, Kandiyohi County, City of Willmar, Kandiyohi / Willmar Economic Development Commission, and BNSF Railway.