ROCHESTER, Minn. - Beyond the barricades on Highway 63 north of Rochester is a repaving project now facing a big detour of its own.
"This doesn't happen very often for us, thankfully. But when it does, it can cause some considerable damage," said MnDOT's Anne Meyer.
On Thursday afternoon, a driver went around the barricades and sloshed through 780 feet of wet concrete before construction workers were able to stop him, causing what will soon be a very expensive do-over.
"Early estimates put this over $100,000. But it could be higher than that," Meyer said.
Meyer says the entire damaged stretch of the highway needs to be broken up and re-paved, because the concrete includes special fibers to strengthen it. And the machine they use lays the entire width of the highway at once, one mile per day.
"It's a good reminder to motorists, don't go into work zones. You don't know what's behind those barricades and cones," Meyer said.
According to State Patrol, the driver was a 95-year-old man who was driving home from the Mayo Clinic. He said he got confused with the construction and it was a big mistake. He received a ticket for failing to obey a traffic control device. And MnDOT and their contractor will take up the cost of the damage with the driver's insurance company.
Meantime, MnDOT hope it serves as a reminder.
"This is the reason we put up barricades and shut down roadways when we're doing work," Meyer said.