Highway 169 in Mankato: roundabouts, two bridges and a noise wall on MnDOT's Nov. 18 letting

The Minnesota Department of Transportation will open bids Nov. 18, 2026 on a 2.769-mile project on U.S. Highway 169 in Mankato, according to MnDOT's project advertisement, published Oct. 21.

The scope

Contract 260132, S.P. 5212-42, is listed in District 7 and Blue Earth County. The job description says the work is in Blue Earth and Nicollet counties on Highway 169 from 470 feet north of Belgrade Avenue to 420 feet north of Lake Street NW, and the location field says it is in Mankato.

The advertisement lists the work as:

• grading;
• bituminous and concrete surfacing;
• roundabouts;
• ADA improvements;
• retaining walls and a noise wall;
• lighting and TMS (traffic management systems); and
• bridges 52X15 and 07X06.

The project combines five state project numbers: 5212-42, 5211-77 and 0713-92 on Highway 169, plus SP 137-010-021 and SP 150-010-005. The federal project number is 0169(367), with the funding program codes NHPP, NHFP, STBG, TA and CRP.

What the codes mean

The codes are federal-aid highway programs: NHPP is the National Highway Performance Program, NHFP the National Highway Freight Program, STBG the Surface Transportation Block Grant program, TA the Transportation Alternatives set-aside and CRP the Carbon Reduction Program. Their presence means the project uses federal funds, which is why it carries a DBE goal rather than the state TGB/VET goals that MnDOT lists on its state-funded projects.

Goal

The DBE goal is 5.20%. The proposal sets out how participation is counted and what bidders must submit.

Why it matters locally

Highway 169 runs through Mankato along the Minnesota River. A project with roundabouts, two bridges, retaining walls and a noise wall will need grading and earthwork crews, concrete and bituminous paving, structures subcontractors, electrical contractors for lighting and TMS, and erosion control and traffic control firms.

Other District 7 work

The same letting includes contract 260152, district-wide signing on various highways in District 7, paid with state funds, which lists a TGB/VET goal type with 0% goals.

Local contractors

This site's Blue Earth County hub lists 181 Minnesota DLI-licensed residential building, electrical, plumbing and technology systems contractors based in the county. Prime contractors looking for DBE partners should use the Minnesota Unified Certification Program directory, which certifies DBEs in the state.

The local contractor base

From the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry's license data, this site's directory lists 181 active licensees in Blue Earth County. They include 118 residential building contractors, 26 Class A electrical contractors, 26 plumbing contractors and 11 technology systems contractors. Nicollet County has 86, including 19 electrical contractors. Across MnDOT District 7, the directory has 868 licensees.

How it compares

At 2.769 miles, this is the fourth-longest project on the Nov. 18 letting, after the 20.489-mile resurfacing in Lyon and Yellow Medicine counties, the 8.679-mile Highway 210 project in Pillager and the 8.037-mile I-694 signing project. It is the only project on the letting that lists roundabouts in the plural; the Pillager and Cottage Grove projects each list a single roundabout.

Bids open Nov. 18, four weeks after MnDOT published the advertisement on Oct. 21.

How to bid MnDOT work

MnDOT's advertisement page lists each project by letting date, with its S.P. number, contract ID, district, county, goal type and goal percentages, and a link to view the project's items. Bidders should read each project's proposal for requirements. MnDOT's bid letting site links to Bid Express for electronic bidding. Public work contracts in Minnesota require performance and payment bonds under Minn. Stat. § 574.26, except for contracts below the threshold in § 471.345 and other listed exceptions. This site's MnDOT bidding guide has more.

See all of MnDOT's advertised projects on our bids page.