The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) begins two major roundabout construction projects next week on London Road/Highway 61. Preliminary work, such as tree clearing and structure removal, began earlier, but the heavy equipment and road closures start Monday, April 27.
The roundabouts, along with resurfacing and utility work along London Road, are planned as a two-year project. London Road is a busy thoroughfare in Duluth and an important link for North Shore visitors and commercial vehicles. Travelers should plan alternate routes if available and expect delays and detours.
The construction focus this year will be on building the roundabouts at 26th Ave E and 40th Ave E, as well as resurfacing and utility work between those two points. Next year will be spent finishing the mainline resurfacing and pedestrian improvements up to 60th Ave E, near the Lester River.
This year, northbound traffic toward Two Harbors will remain a one-way lane. Drivers should pay close attention to speed limit signs and flaggers and drive with exceptional care. The base fine for a construction zone violation is $300.
Southbound traffic heading to Duluth and the start of I-35 will be detoured onto Superior Street, from 60th Avenue East to 21st Avenue East.
The decision to install roundabouts on London Road was the result of a multi-year MnDOT study that focused on three specific “hard” realities of that corridor: aging infrastructure, high-speed accidents, and the unique needs of the Lakewalk. The goal is to modernize a corridor where the traffic signals have reached the end of their lifespan.
The traffic signals currently at those intersections have reached the end of their functional lifespan. MnDOT faced a choice between spending millions to replace old traffic lights with new ones and investing that money in a design proven to be safer and more efficient over the next 20 to 30 years.
Roundabouts have lower long-term maintenance costs because they don’t require electricity, bulbs, or computer controllers. The primary advantage of a roundabout is a reduction in fatal and injury-causing crashes. In a traditional intersection, the most dangerous accidents are so-called “T-bone” (side-impact) or head-on collisions, often caused by someone running a red light at high speed. Because traffic is forced to slow down and travel in the same direction, accidents are typically limited to low-speed “sideswipes.” According to MnDOT, converting a signalized intersection to a roundabout can reduce fatal crashes by over 80%.
London Road handles a heavy volume of commuters and tourists heading to the North Shore.
Ninety-degree intersections and traditional signal lights create “platoons” of traffic. When the light is red, cars idle, creating emissions and long backups. Roundabouts allow for a “continuous flow.” You only stop if there is a gap you can’t safely enter. This reduces idling time and helps clear the congestion that often builds up during peak tourist season.
Because London Road sits between residential neighborhoods, pedestrian access is a major priority. Vehicles typically move through roundabouts at about 15 mph, which is a much more survivable speed for a pedestrian encounter than the 40+ mph often seen when people are “racing the yellow” at a traditional light. The new London Road design includes “splitter islands,” which allow a pedestrian or cyclist to cross one direction of traffic, pause safely in the middle, and then cross the second direction. It simplifies the “decision-making” process for someone trying to get across the road.
Roundabouts are often met with local resistance because they feel “complicated” to navigate at first. If you remember only one thing, that’s contrary to what all drivers learn: the car on your left has the right of way, and you do not. That one simple thought makes adapting to roundabouts fairly simple. It’s just a circle, after all. It uses physics, geometry, and common sense to manage traffic naturally without needing a computer to tell people when to go.
The psychological shift to roundabouts for drivers isn’t easy. Still, the data show that once the “hard work” of learning the new pattern is done, the community ends up with a significantly safer, more efficient road.
While the London Road project is the most disruptive, there are “quiet” improvements happening further up the shore.
MnDOT is beginning a major overhaul of Hwy 61 through Two Harbors. In 2026, the work is largely focused on utility relocation (water, sewer, and power) to prepare for the heavy construction of roundabouts at 7th Avenue and 11th Street, which will happen in 2027 and 2028.
You will see orange barrels and narrowed lanes within the city limits of Two Harbors, but through-traffic on Hwy 61 will be maintained for the 2026 season.
In a world that loves to say “it’s complicated,” these roundabouts offer a refreshingly straightforward, if physically demanding, answer to aging infrastructure and rising accident rates. While the next two years of orange cones will undoubtedly upset a few apple carts, the trade-off is a modernized Highway 61 built for the next generation of travelers. The road ahead is under construction, but the destination—a safer community— is well worth the drive.
