MANKATO, Minn. —Highway 68 from Highway 15 to just west of Blue Earth County Road 24 (south of Courtland) will remain closed tonight and until further notice after a sizeable mudslide closed the road this morning.

Motorists are asked to find an alternate route or use Highway 14.

MnDOT officials will be monitoring the slide area to make sure that no more debris will slide onto the roadway.

The slope with the mudslide, located just west of County Road 24, was one that had been extensively damaged over recent years and was re-stabilized with a project this past spring.  However, the new turf had not yet been established and the drainage features became overloaded causing the repair work to fail.

When a road is closed it is illegal to travel in that area. Motorists can be fined up to $1,000 and/or 90 days in jail. In addition, if travelers need to be rescued from a closed road, other expenses and penalties will apply.

For updated road condition information, call 511 or visit 511mn.org.

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