With heavy traffic, humidity and temperatures hovering around the 90 degree mark, the Minnesota Department of Transportation says its ready to respond to any road buckling on the state's highways. MnDOT says so far, no roads have buckled due to the conditions.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation said Friday that it will install U.S. flags on a number of bridges in the northwest Twin Cities metro area. The move comes after MnDOT faced numerous complaints from the public and a VFW in Brooklyn Park over the removal of flags illegally placed on bridges in the metro.

After flying American flags for eight years over five highway overpasses, the Minnesota Department of Transportation has told the Palmer Lake VFW in Brooklyn Park to take them down, WCCO reports. For safety reasons, a state law forbids people from affixing objects to an overpass. But VFW officials say they should be able to fly the flag wherever they want.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) saved about $20 million last winter thanks to a milder temperatures and a below average snowfall. WCCO-TV reports that MnDOT spent $45.9 million on winter maintenance over the winter, down from $66.1 million the year before. The state says the extra cash will come in handy in other areas.

MnDOT officials tell MPR that foundation work on the new bridge crossing the St. Croix River downstream from Stillwater will begin next spring, rather than in 2014. The proposed four-lane bridge connecting Minnesota and Wisconsin will replace the 80-year-old Stillwater Lift Bridge. The entire project is estimated to cost up to $676 million and take about three years to complete.