Officials from MnDOT and Two Harbors held a public meeting on September 23rd to update area residents and business owners on detour routes and other impacts that will be a part of the Highway 61 project, which is scheduled to begin in 2027. The meeting started out with a discussion about how traffic will be funneled both through, and around town during construction
Northbound traffic will be maintained through town for the first year of construction. Automobile traffic heading through town toward Duluth, will be routed up Hwy 2 to County Hwy 26. From there traffic will flow to 15th Street. MnDOT will build a temporary connection between 15th Street and 7th Avenue. Car traffic will then follow 7th Avenue to County Road 10 where traffic will rejoin Hwy. 61. Truck traffic will be routed from Hwy 2, to County Road 12 and from there will follow County Road 11, to county Road 10 before rejoining Hwy 61.
The round-a-bouts that are being built for this project will be wide enough to accommodate truck traffic so deliveries will continue to flow to area businesses. The construction season will generally last between May and November of each year and all traffic impacts will be taken down during the winter. Access to all businesses will be maintained throughout the project and there will be a Business Liaison person who will facilitate communication with business owners during the project. MnDOT will be putting up business access signs and business owners can coordinate with the City to put up additional signage to guide traffic to their locations.
There are some resources that business owners can access during the construction process. The Northland Small Business Development Center can provide counseling for business owners to help them get through the ins and outs of construction work. Additionally, the Entrepreneur Fund is writing a grant for a program called The Be Strategic Program. The Entrepreneur Fund does small business advising and has some loans that will likely be available for businesses, if needed.
One resident asked about possible wear and tear on the roads that will be used for detour routes. When MnDOT designates detour routes, they enter into an agreement with the local municipality and take note of the condition of the road beforehand. If damage is done to the road while it is being used as a detour route, repairs will be made before the road is handed back to the municipality. During ongoing work, there will be designated routes where both pedestrian and car traffic can cross through the construction. There will also be several protected, or enhanced crossings, located at 15th Street, at 8th Street and at Park Road, that will feature flashing lights. Finally, there will be medians throughout the corridor so that pedestrians can safely cross Hwy 61 both during and after construction.
