Ever hear the saying that there are two seasons in Minnesota? There’s winter and road construction.

Well, folks, this week we entered the second season. It’s road construction time.

In our area, work began on Interstate 90 near Minnesota Highway 13 and of course further north on Interstate 35 near Owatonna. Also this summer, there’s work slated on southbound I-35 between Ellendale and Albert Lea. With many of these projects will come lane closures and often head-to-head traffic.

While road construction can sometimes be a pain and add some extra road time to our schedules, we wanted to remind drivers to take extra precautions when driving in work zones.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation urges motorists to always be attentive, drive with caution, slow down in work zones and never enter a road blocked with barriers or cones.

Usually a few times a year there are stories of crashes and even fatalities that occur within work zones during construction. Some drivers may be distracted and venture off the road or crash into another vehicle. Other times even a construction worker is injured.

Please stay alert as you drive this summer. Don’t become another story.