Weekday lane closure on southbound Highway 52 in Rosemount begins May 14

MnDOT research project will evaluate how various pavement markings hold up to traffic, weather

ROSEVILLE, Minn. – Crews will reduce southbound Highway 52 to one lane between Highway 55 and County Road 42/145th Street in Rosemount from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, Thursday, May 14 to Friday, June 26, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The speed limit in the one southbound lane will be reduced to 55 mph.

The temporary closures will allow crews to apply more than 150 different white and yellow pavement markings in the right lane, on both concrete and asphalt surfaces. Highway 52 will then serve as a testing ground to evaluate the performance of the markings in real world conditions, including Minnesota weather.

“If you get a good pavement marking, it’s easily the highest safety benefit to lowest cost for a traffic control device,” said Ethan Peterson, MnDOT Pavement Marking and Crashworthy Engineer.

The research, led by American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, a national nonprofit transportation group, tests different pavement marking products in different states with different weather. Minnesota last hosted this research in 2013, when test striping was added to Interstate 35E.

Once markings are installed, the evaluation will run for one to three years, depending on the product. Researchers will gauge how the color, reflectivity, durability and other factors hold up under traffic and weather.

All construction activities and traffic impacts are weather dependent and subject to change.

MnDOT urges motorists to always be attentive, drive with caution, and slow down in work zones where workers are present.

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