Updated post as of 1:15 p.m April 20: After getting a call back, John Sass of the Dakota County Transportation Department says this project has now been pushed off until 2017. Burnsville drivers will get a one-year reprieve as the county looks to rebid the project. Thursday's open house, however, is still on.

Burnsville drivers who travel on County Road 42 may want to pull out their Google maps or favorite traffic app and start planning alternate routes for the summer now.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Dakota County Public Works Department are collaborating on a project to fix the I-35W overpass and extend the turn lanes on the eastbound side of County 42 that lead to northbound I-35W.

And that will bring significant traffic snarls for up to eight weeks in an area already prone to bottlenecks. More than 50,000 vehicles cross the County 42 bridge over I-35W each day. The road also is the main access point for those heading to Burnsville Center and the shopping centers across the street.

On Thursday, the two departments will hold an open house to show off preliminary plans for the project, promote detours and how nearby roads such as Buck Hill Road will be impacted. Officials will answer questions and take feedback during the drop-in session, which will run from 3 to 7 p.m. at Burnsville City Hall, 100 Civic Center Pkwy.

The work on the County Road 42 bridge will be done in stages. First the westbound span will be closed for four weeks followed by a four-week closure on the eastbound side. The dates for construction have not been announced other than "this summer," according to the project newsletter. The Drive has put in calls to Dakota County to see if there is a more precise timetable.

Harlow, Tim, Star Tribune

Here is what is being planned:

The County 42 bridge deck and joints will be repaired. So will sidewalks

Redoing the signals at the intersection of County 42 and Buck Hill Road where the ramp from southbound 35W feeds into County 42.

Extending the turn lane that eastbound County 42 drivers use to access northbound I-35W. The double turn lane currently begins on the east side of Buck Hill Road, but it's often so crowded that traffic jams up back to Aldrich Avenue. Those backups present safety concerns, officials say.