Last week, Josie Olson, MNDOT Project Manager for the Highway 61 Project, brought a design team to town for a show and tell session on some of the aesthetic aspects that are on the drawing board for the Highway 61 reconstruction project. The actual reconstruction work is scheduled for 2027 – 2028. Around 30 residents met with the design team at the Two Harbors Library last week to look at renderings and talk about the visual quality of the project. On hand to talk specifics about the aesthetics of the project were Pippi Mayfield, Communications Director for MNDOT and landscape architects from LHB Inc. out of Duluth.
In the recent past, some area residents were involved in discussions with design professionals that took into account local ideas on how a renewed Hwy 61 would look when the project was completed. Features and amenities include uniform signage, trees and other plantings, improved pedestrian walkways and crosswalks, benches and parking spaces.
Some of the residents who attended last week’s meeting voiced questions and concerns about roadway construction, which was not the focus of the meeting. Construction Engineers have made presentations in the past to address questions on road design, detours and other concerns that local residents have had.
Residents who are interested in having more information on both the construction and aesthetic aspects of the project can visit the Two Harbors Corridor Project. Residents should also pay attention to announcements in the Northshore Journal about public meetings that will be held prior to the start of construction.
