Lane closures begin Monday on I-94 at Otter Tail County line

Traffic on Interstate 94 narrowed Monday at the west end of Otter Tail County, where lane closures took effect in both directions between Highway 79 near Evansville and the Grant/Otter Tail County line at the County Road 26 overpass.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation said the first stage of the work will focus on building crossovers, replacing guardrail and installing traffic control devices. The closure marks the start of a 2026 westbound resurfacing project on I-94 that will reshape travel along one of western Otter Tail County’s key east-west routes.

MnDOT said westbound traffic will be shifted onto the eastbound lanes when resurfacing begins in June, a traffic pattern that will put drivers into one-lane, head-to-head conditions through the project area until October. The agency said all construction activity and traffic impacts are weather dependent and may change as work progresses.

The project covers the westbound lanes from Highway 79 near Evansville to the Grant/Otter Tail County line, approximately at the County Road 26 overpass. MnDOT listed concrete overlay, minor bridge work, replacement of guardrail and line culverts among the main elements of the job.

Central Specialties, Inc., of Alexandria, is the prime contractor on the $18.8 million project. MnDOT’s District 4 has included the Evansville-to-county-line stretch among its 2026 west central Minnesota projects, underscoring the scale of the work zone for drivers moving between Grant County and the western side of Otter Tail County.

For daily commuters, freight haulers and travelers heading toward Fergus Falls, Perham and the lakes area, the change means slower trips, lane merges and a longer construction season on a corridor many drivers use as their main link across the region. The work zone sits just outside the county’s populated centers, but its impact will be felt on the road long before the resurfacing is finished.