April 2, 2025 – ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA – The City of Rochester has numerous construction projects planned for 2025. These projects have many benefits, including maintaining and replacing the City’s infrastructure and improving safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. 

The list below highlights large-scale projects; it does not include all construction work planned for 2025. Information about major City projects can be found on the City of Rochester Public Project Dashboard.

Residents can stay informed of travel impacts using the websites noted below. 

• downtownrochesterconstruction.org: An online resource designed to provide residents, visitors, patients and downtown employees with up-to-date information and maps covering downtown construction impacts and community partner happenings. This website reflects ongoing collaboration between the City, Destination Medical Center and Mayo Clinic. 
• Construction Impact Map: An online map showing current impacts on travel in the City of Rochester.

Link Bus Rapid Transit

 Summer 2025 to Spring 2027
The Link Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is a transformative transportation investment designed to enhance mobility, ease congestion, and support the continued growth of Rochester. By providing a fast, fare-free, and reliable transit option, with 12 stops located along the 2.8 mile long, 2nd St. corridor. Link will serve an estimated 11,000 commuters, residents, businesses, and visitors a day, strengthening downtown Rochester’s accessibility and economic vitality. West Transit Village is part of a private development between Mayo Clinic, Krause Anderson and others to provide retail, housing, parking and other parks amenities. Link BRT is responsible for the underground utility infrastructure as well as sidewalks, landscaping and on route chargers for the electric buses. Construction for the West Transit Village was awarded on March 3; this project includes utility and paving work. 

Street Projects

• North Broadway Reconstruction - Phase 2 (Spring 2025 to June 2026)
  Phase 2 of the North Broadway reconstruction project will address the roadway between the Silver Lake Bridge and Elton Hills Drive NW. The new roadway will improve walking, biking and transit facilities, as well as include safety improvements for drivers. Benefits of the project include turning this section of the corridor into an urban street and creating connections to pedestrian/bike trails along the Zumbro River, Cascade Creek and Silver Lake. 
• 50th Avenue NW Reconstruction from Valleyhigh Road to ½ mile south (Spring to Fall 2025)
  The project will include the complete roadway reconstruction, including safe facilities for people walking, biking and rolling. Once complete, the street will provide access to the current Prairie Ridge subdivision that is planned along the west side of the corridor, as well as neighboring properties to the east.
• Intersection Improvements at 4th Street SE and 19th Avenue SE (Roundabout) (Spring to Fall 2025)
  The project is currently planned for construction in 2025 and will include the reconstruction of pavement, curb and gutter, sidewalk, sanitary sewer and storm sewer. The intersection will be improved from an all-way stop to a multi-lane roundabout.
• 17 ½ Street NW Reconstruction from 19th Avenue NW to 21st Avenue NW (Summer 2025)
  This reconstruction project is driven by the aging underground water main and sanitary sewer that was identified as deficient and in need of replacement. The project includes new pavement, public utilities (water main, sanitary sewer and storm sewer) and reconstruction of existing curb ramps to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. The existing roadway is also wider than current standards and will be narrowed to help calm traffic.
• Concrete Pavement Rehabilitation (CPR) of Northern Heights Drive NE from Broadway Avenue N to 22nd Avenue NE (Spring 2025)
  The project will focus on full-depth concrete repairs, spot replacement of curb and gutter, replacement of pedestrian ramps, manhole castings and new pavement markings on Northern Heights Drive NE from Broadway Avenue N to 22nd Avenue NE. The project is scoped to extend the lifespan of the concrete pavement until a full reconstruction project is necessary and the underground utilities need replacement.

Additional Projects

• Annual Mill & Overlay and Chip Seal Projects (Spring/Summer 2025)
  Every year, the Public Works Infrastructure Maintenance team performs pavement preservation projects, including Mill & Overlay and Chip Seal projects. The milling projects consist of removing an average of two inches of pavement from the existing street and replacing those two inches of bituminous pavement. This year’s project includes an estimated 18 miles of re-paving. The Chip Seal projects are an additional preservation method to protect pavements recently paved in the previous two to three years. An estimated 27 miles of streets will receive a chip seal. These projects occur in neighborhoods all over the City. More information on the pavement preservation project is located on the City of Rochester website.
  
  
• Sidewalk Improvement District (SID) Program (Spring/Summer 2025)
  The City now handles sidewalk repairs and maintenance through the SID program. Contractors will be addressing defective sidewalks in District 1 – NW this season. Select pedestrian ramps will also be replaced. This is the third year under the new program (adopted by the City Council in November 2022) that reassigns the cost of sidewalk repairs and replacement from the adjacent property owner to a distribution among a greater portion of the community.
  
  
• East Peace Plaza (Spring/Summer 2025)
  Updates to East Peace Plaza will expand the flat, walkable surface by replacing the raised-letter pavers. This expansion will add up to two feet of unobstructed space, improving navigation without interference from raised lettering or settling issues. The proposed changes directly address pedestrian navigation concerns raised by community members, including those with mobility, vision, and other conditions. The work will involve resetting existing smooth pavers, replacing some raised-letter pavers with smooth ones, and adding visual cues to differentiate the walkway from the art experience.