Roundabout work is coming

Talk about it

Getting to Rosemount might take a little longer this summer, but it can still be done.

Farmington residents are invited to attend an open house next Wednesday to learn more about why Highway 3 will be closed for part of the summer — namely, the roundabout construction.

Scheduled to begin mid- to late July, the roundabout will be built at the intersection of Highway 3 and 190th Street. That portion of the highway will be closed during construction, so northbound traffic will be routed through downtown Farmington on Elm Street/County Road 50 to Pilot Knob Road/CR 31, where it will go north. Anyone wishing to get back to Highway 3 can cut across on 160th Street/CR 46.

Construction on the roundabout is expected to be completed by the end of September.

A second road construction project also starts this summer — the long-anticipated extension of 195th Street to Highway 3.

The extension begins where 195th Street currently ends, near the Mystic Meadows development. Over the next year, the road will be extended east toward Highway 3, jogging slightly northward in its route. When it intersects the highway, it will connect at the new 190th Street intersection where the roundabout is located. The project includes a bridge over North Creek and the railroad tracks.

The city of Farmington is the lead agency on both projects, but the cost of each project will be divided among several partners. Farmington, Empire Township, Dakota County, the Minnesota Department of Transportation and two developers will split the cost of the roundabout construction. The city of Farmington, Dakota County, MnDOT and one developer will divvy up the cost of the 195th Street extension.

Both projects will be on display from 6 to 8 p.m. May 21 at the Farmington Central Maintenance Facility, 19650 Municipal Dr., in Farmington. All residents are invited to attend, ask questions and view maps on the projects. More information is also available on the city of Farmington website, www.ci.farmington.mn.us. Questions may also be directed to Farmington city engineer Kevin Schorzman, 651-463-1607.

Tags: news, roadwork, highway3, roundabout