Highway 61 in Hastings Is Now a Two-Year Project
TLDR
- The Hwy 61 rebuild in Hastings is officially a two-year project, not the 1.5 years MnDOT hoped for.
- Traffic will be one lane each direction, built in three stages.
- The road will not fully close — it is a river crossing.
- Some early work could start in 2027; the main project is let in January 2028 and wraps in 2029.
Here is the part of the Highway 61 project everyone in Hastings actually feels: the construction. MnDOT confirmed at its July open house that this is a two-year build, and they walked through exactly how they plan to keep traffic moving. It will not be fun, but there is a plan.
Two years, not eighteen months
Project manager Robert Jones was straight about it. MnDOT tried to squeeze the job into a year and a half, and it just will not work. 'It's a two-year project,' he said. Having the contractor, Schafer Hoffman, already on board actually helps — they are at the design table now telling the state what can and cannot be built. You can keep tabs on this and other big builds on our development map.
One lane each way, in three stages
MnDOT looked at a few options and ruled two of them out fast. A full closure with a detour is off the table because 61 crosses a river. Keeping two lanes each direction during construction is also out. So the plan is one lane in each direction, built in three stages.
Here is the rough order:
- Stage 1: Between the two bridges (the Hastings bridge down to the Vermillion River bridge). Crews build the north side first, since that is where most of the utilities are, while traffic runs on the south side. Then they flip.
- Stage 2: From the Vermillion River to the 316 roundabout — full-depth concrete.
- Stage 3: Between the two roundabouts — full-depth asphalt, which can be done fast with a short detour.
Jones pointed to a downtown Rochester project where crews built one side of the road while traffic stayed on the other. That is the model here. And he was clear this could still change — they are only at 30% design and are meeting weekly to figure out the smartest order.
Work is already happening
Even though the big build is years out, you will see crews now. In 2026, MnDOT is cutting dead trees along the corridor, drilling borings, and surveying. Some property owners have already heard from right-of-way agents. For the latest on local projects and openings, our development report tracks it all.
The timeline
- 2026: Tree removal, borings, surveying, right-of-way work; 60% design in November.
- 2027: Possible early work packages (like the failing bridge retaining wall and crossovers).
- September 2027: 100% plans.
- January 2028: Project let for bids.
- 2028–2029: Main construction, with the bulk in 2028.
One resident asked why the biggest, busiest spot — the 316 area — is not first. Jones said the real 'biggest dog' is building crossovers to shift traffic and fixing that failing bridge wall. He promised a clearer order by the November update. Want the friendly version of every local meeting? Subscribe to the newsletter.
The Bottom Line
Two years of one-lane traffic is a lot, and MnDOT knows it. The staging is designed to keep businesses and homes reachable the whole time, and the road never fully closes. Nothing major is torn up yet, so use this year to plan ahead — especially if you run a business on the corridor. The next real detail drop is the 60% design in November.
