Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Motorists traveling westbound Interstate 90 from Highway 42 to Highway 52 will encounter a left lane closure in the westbound lanes starting April 19th.

According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, crews will begin installing high-tension cable median barrier. The lane closure in Olmsted Count will be approximately 5.8 miles long.

Mattison Contractors is the prime contractor on the $862,640 project. Work is expected to be completed by the end of May.

The barriers are made of three or four steel cables strung on posts. When a car hits the barrier, the post break and the cables flex, absorbing much of a crash's kinetic energy. This redirects the vehicle along the median, preventing a cross-median crash.

Get our free mobile app

According to a press release from MnDOT, nearly all of the fatal and serious injury cross median crashes have been eliminated where the barrier has been installed.

"MnDOT has evaluated the performance of cable median barriers and determined that nearly all of the fatal and serious injury cross median crashes have been eliminated where the barrier has been installed. There are restrictions on where cable median barrier can be installed but MnDOT is moving forward with strategic installations in locations where the risk of cross median crashes are the highest."

You can learn more about cable median barriers on MnDOT's website.

The installation of cable median barriers is just one of the many projects that MnDOT has planned this construction season. You can more of the projects scheduled for MnDOT's 2021 Construction season in Southeast Minnesota here.

20 of the Best Good News Stories of 2021

Lots of good is happening in our world, even as we are all in the middle of a pandemic. If you are searching for some positivity right now, you came to the right spot. Here are the top 20 good news stories for 2021 so far.

 

More From KFIL