Opening date set for Riverfront Drive in Mankato

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - The City of Mankato has announced an opening date for Riverfront Drive.

The final phase of the Riverfront Drive reconstruction project is expected to be completed before November and the road will be entirely open to traffic on Monday, October 28.

“The Riverfront Drive project demonstrates what we can accomplish when we work together to make these major improvements in our community,” said Mankato City Manager Susan Arntz in a release. “I would like to thank the Old Town business owners for their partnership throughout this entire process. It is such an inviting and walkable area now. I encourage everyone to check out the new Old Town for themselves.”

The construction created wider sidewalks by reducing the number of traffic lanes and improved pedestrian safety at crosswalks. The project also replaced storm sewers and water mains.

There will be a ribbon cutting at 8:00 a.m. at the Rock Street intersection on October 28 to celebrate the completion of the $9.6 million project.

Construction crews will begin taking down barriers following the 8:00 a.m. ribbon cutting. It could take until the afternoon to get all barriers removed. The traffic lights will be flashing red for the rest of that week and are expected to be fully functional by Friday, November 1.

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