Portland-Rochester (MN)

[Bickendan]

Planning a trip for August to head out to Minnesota to visit some friends. Currently, I'm planning on hitting Craters of the Moon, Yellowstone and Mt Rushmore on the way out, and return via the Cities, Fargo and Spokane. It still leads a massive number of routing choices, and the only two segments I'm really not keen on are I-84 from Portland to Burley/Rupert, ID, and I-5/OR 22/US 20 from Portland to Bend because I've traveled them before (but I don't have OR 126 from Sisters to Redmond or Prineville...).

I'm planning on leaving either around 10 pm Thursday August 4th after my Oregon Symphonic Band in Hillsboro or the next morning, and plan on getting to Rochester by late Sunday evening. So, recommendation on route based on the route segments presented below would be awesome.

Route leg options: Portland-Sisters (I-5, OR 22, US 20/OR 126 "straight shot to Yellowstone (20)")
Portland-Biggs (I-84/US 30, with US 30 from Mosier to The Dalles as option)
Portland-Lyle (I-205, WA 14)
Portland-Madras (US 26)
Portland-Napavine (I-205, I-5)

Sisters-Prineville (OR126)
Sisters-Bend (US 20)

Madras-Prineville (US 26)
Madras-Bend (US 97 or OR 361)

Prineville-Vale (US 26)
Bend-Vale (US 20)

Vale-south Ontario (US 20/26)

south Ontario-Ontario (OR 201)
south Ontario-Caldwell (US 20/26)

Lyle-Maryhill (WA 14)
Lyle-Goldendale (WA 142)

Biggs (or Maryhill)-Goldendale (US 97)
Goldendale-Ellensburg (US 97)

Biggs-Irrigon (I-84/US30)
Irrigon-Umatilla (US 730 or I-84/US 30, I-82)

Umatilla-Plymouth (I-82/US 395)
Umatilla-Wallula (US 730)

Maryhill-Plymouth (WA 14)

Plymouth-Pendleton (US 395)
Plymouth-TriCities (US 395)

Irrigon-Pendleton (I-84/US 30)
Pendleton-Walla Walla (OR 11, WA 125)
Pendleton-Olds Ferry (US 30, Bus US 30)
Olds Ferry-Ontario (I-84/US 30)

Olds Ferry-Weiser (OR 201)
Weiser-Payette junction [Oregon side] (OR 201)
Wieser-Payette [Idaho side] Spur US 95, US 95

Payette junction-Ontario (OR 201)
Payette junction-Payette (OR/ID 52, Spur US 95)

Payette-Fruitland (US 95)

Ontario-Fruitland (US 30)
Ontario-Caldwell (I-84)
Caldwell-Boise [via downtown] (ID 44 or US 20/26)
Caldwell-Boise (I-84/US 30)
Boise-Mountain Home (I-84/US 20/26/30)
Mountain Home-Carey (US 20)
Mountain Home-Bliss (I-84/US 26/30)
Bliss-Carey (US 26)

Bliss-Burley/Rupert [via Twin Falls] (US 30)
Bliss-Burley/Rupert [via Jerome] (I-84 or ID 25)

Carey-Arco (Craters of the Moon) (US 20/26/93)
Arco-Blackfoot (US 26)
Arco-Idaho Falls (US 20)

Burley/Rupert-Pocatello (I-86/US 30)
Pocatello-Blackfoot (I-15 or US 91)
Blackfoot-Idaho Falls (I-15/US 26 or US 91)
Idaho Falls-Yellowstone (US 20)
Idaho Falls-Butte (I-15)

Napavine-TriCities (US 12 "straight shot to the Cities")
Napavine-Federal Way (I-5)
Federal Way-North Bend [via Seattle] (I-5, I-90 "straight shot to Rochester")
Federal Way-North Bend [cutoff] WA 18
North Bend-Ellensburg (I-90)
Ellensburg-Ritzville (I-90)

TriCities-Ritzville (US 395)
TriCities-Wallula (US 12)
Wallula-Walla Walla (US 12)
Walla Walla-Missoula (US 12)

Ritzville-Missoula (I-90)
Missoula-Drummond (I-90/US 12)
Drummond-Anaconda (MT 1)
Drummond-Garrison (I-90/US 12)
Garrison-Forsyth (US 12)
Garrison-Anaconda (I-90)
Anaconda-Butte (I-90)
Butte-Three Forks (I-90 or MT 2)
Three Forks-Livingston (I-90)

Yellowstone-Livingston (US 89)
Yellowstone-Laurel (US 212 "straight shot to the Cities")
Yellowstone-Cody (US 14/16/20 "straight shot to Rochester (14) or Rushmore (16)")
Cody-Burgess Junction (US 14A)
Cody-Greybull (US 14/16/20)
Greybull-Burgess Junction (US 14)
Greybull-Worland (US 16/20)
Worland-Buffalo (US 16)

Burgess Junction-Ranchester (US 14)

Livingston-Laurel (I-90)
Laurel-Billings (I-90/US 212)
Billings-Crow Agency (I-90/US 87/212)
Crow Agency-Ranchester (I-90/US 87)
Ranchester-Sheridan (I-90/US 14/87)
Sheridan-Ucross (US 14)
Sheridan-Buffalo (I-90/US 87)
Buffalo-Ucross (US 16)
Buffalo-Gillette (I-90)

Ucross-Gillette (US 14/16)
Gillette-Moorcroft (I-90/US 14/16)
Moorcroft-Custer (US 16)
Moorcroft-Sundance (I-90)
Moorcroft-Sundance [via Carlyle] (US 14)
Sundance-Spearfish (I-90/US 14)

Crow Agency-Belle Fourche (US 212)
Belle Fourche-Spearfish (US 85)
Belle Fourche-Eden Prairie (US 212)

Spearfish-Sturgis (I-90/US 14)
Spearfish-Sturgis [via Deadwood] (US 14A)
Sturgis-Rapid City (I-90/US 14)
--Rapid City-Mt Rushmore (US 16, 16A, SD 244)

Custer-Mt Rushmore (US 16A, SD 244)
Custer-Mt Rushmore [via Hill City] (US 16, 16A, SD 244)
Mt Rushmore-Rapid City (SD 244, US 16A, 16)
Rapid City-Wall (I-90/US 14)
Wall-Mankato (US 14)
Wall-Worthington (I-90)
Worthington-Mankato (MN 60)
Wothington-Rochester (I-90, US 63)

Mankato-Rochester (US 14)

Billings-Forsyth (I-94)
Forsyth-Miles City (I-94/US 12)
Miles City-Wayzata (US 12)
Miles City-Jamestown (I-94) (Theodore Roosevelt NP, South Unit)
Jamestown-Fargo (US 52)
Fargo-Elk River (US 10)
Fargo-Rogers (US 52)

Elk River-Rogers (MN 101)
Elk River-Arden Hills (US 10)
Arden Hills-St Paul (US 10)

Rogers-Maple Grove (US 52)
Maple Grove-Wayzata (I-494)
Maple Grove-Brooklyn Center (US 52)
Brooklyn Center-Arden Hills (I-694)
Brooklyn Center-Minneapolis (US 52)
Minneapolis-St Paul (US 12/52)
St Paul-South St Paul (US 52)
South St Paul-Inver Grove Heights (US 52)
Inver Grove Heights-Rochester (US 52)

Wayzata-Minneapolis (US 12)
Wayzata-Eden Prairie (I-494)
Eden Prairie-South St Paul (I-494)
Eden Prairie-Mendota (MN 62, MN 55)
Mendota-South St Paul (MN 110)
Mendota-Inver Grove Heights (MN 55)

[froggie]

If you go through the Twin Cities metro, keep tabs on this weekend roadwork page for the weekend you pass through.

Here's a quick rundown by route:

Unless you go through Moorhead along US 10, you shouldn't run into any significant construction issues on that route.

If you take US 12, plan on single-lane traffic (alternating sides) between Benson and Kerkhoven for resurfacing.  You may also run into lingering construction between Willmar and Atwater.  Turn lane construction may cause delays in Independence.

4-laning of US 14 from west of Nicollet to North Mankato will incur a detour during the timeframe you're traveling.  The official detour is east from Nicollet along MN 99, then south on CSAH 17.  Another detour alternative is along Nicollet CSAH 25 (with a concurrency along CSAH 23) to CSAH 6 to the interchange at CSAH 41 in North Mankato.  Either way, don't expect to clinch US 14 east of Nicollet if you're a purist.

East of Mankato, there will be lane restrictions on US 14 in Eagle Lake for intersection work.

For US 52, interchange construction at CSAH 86 outside Cannon Falls will incur lane restrictions.  You may also run into a full weekend closure (but lane closures at a minimum) north of I-494 for resurfacing and utility work, but this is easily bypassed via other route options.

Not sure where in Rochester your destination is, but FYI MnDOT is redecking the US 52 bridge over US 63/South Broadway, so expect lane and ramp closures there.

There is no work being done on MN 60 this year between Worthington and Mankato.  MnDOT recently 4-laned the stretch from Mountain Lake to St. James, so the only remaining 2-lane segment is from Windom to Mountain Lake.

On I-90, plan on single-lane traffic due to resurfacing between the Rushmore Exit (Exit 33) and MN 264 (Exit 50).  There will be some ramp closures, but MnDOT will maintain all ramp access at MN 60.

On I-94, plan on single-lane traffic for various types of roadwork at the following locations:  US 75 interchange in Moorhead, US 59/CSAH 88 interchange near Fergus Falls, MN 29 interchange in Alexandria, from the Collegeville exit (Exit 156) to CSAH 75 (Exit 158), and the MN 15 interchange near St. Cloud.

Though not directly on one of your proposed routes, US 169 is closed for reconstruction and raising out of the floodplain between Mankato and St. Peter.  You may run into detour traffic from this along US 14, MN 22, and MN 99 should you go through that area.

No apparent construction outside the Twin Cities area along US 212.