Drivers traveling between Mankato and St. Peter will soon see a return to normal traffic patterns as the Minnesota Department of Transportation plans to lift the Highway 22 detour on Monday, Nov. 24. The detour, in place since April 11, has routed motorists onto Highways 14 and 169 for much of the construction season. MnDOT now expects the roadway to reopen by 4 p.m., marking a key milestone in the ongoing Highway 22 reconstruction project.
Although the reopening will restore direct travel on the corridor, work on the two-year, $36.8 million improvement project is far from over. MnDOT says crews will continue wrap-up activities into the winter months, though these remaining tasks are expected to cause only minimal disruption for drivers. Significant construction is scheduled to resume in 2026, including the next major round of closures and detours.
What Was Completed in 2025
The 2025 construction season focused largely on improvements to the northern and southern ends of the Highway 22 corridor between Mankato and St. Peter. These upgrades aimed to improve both safety and traffic flow, addressing long-standing concerns along the busy commuter and freight route.
One of the most notable upgrades is the newly completed roundabout at Highway 22 and Hill Street near Kasota, also known as Le Sueur County Road 21. This intersection has historically posed safety challenges, and MnDOT believes the roundabout will significantly reduce crash severity and improve overall traffic movement.
To further enhance safety, crews added a channelized acceleration lane for vehicles entering northbound Highway 22 from Blue Earth County Road 57, north of Mankato. This improvement is intended to give motorists more time and space to merge into fast-moving traffic, reducing high-risk conflict points.
Additional work in 2025 included the construction of new turn lanes and passing lanes, targeted to improve traffic operations and reduce delays along segments where passing opportunities were previously limited. Crews also completed bridge repairs and replacements, modernized intersection lighting, and installed a snow fence to improve winter travel conditions.
Looking Ahead to 2026
While the reopening of Highway 22 marks a welcomed pause in major disruptions, the project will intensify again in 2026. MnDOT plans to begin reconstruction of the middle segment of the corridor between Mankato and St. Peter, completing the full-length overhaul that began in 2025. This phase will bring another extended detour similar to the one in place this year.
Work will also focus on the Rabbit Road bridge north of Kasota, along with continued development of walking and biking infrastructure. These improvements reflect MnDOT’s broader goal of creating a safer, more accessible transportation network for all modes of travel.
Trail Development in Progress
Preparation work also advanced this year on a future multi-use walking and biking trail that would connect Mankato and St. Peter. Crews performed grading work and built a pedestrian underpass near Kasota as part of the early phases of trail development. For safety reasons, both the trail and underpass remain closed to the public.
MnDOT has secured funding to design the trail and acquire needed property for the eventual route. However, construction of critical remaining features — including paving and a dedicated trail bridge over the Canadian Pacific rail corridor north of Mankato — remains unfunded. Those elements will fall under the responsibility of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources once funding becomes available.
A Major Step Forward
With the Highway 22 detour set to end Monday, the route will once again offer direct access between Mankato and St. Peter for the first time since spring. While winter will bring a period of relative quiet on the corridor, drivers can expect another active construction season in 2026 before the full project is ultimately completed.
