Road work creeps along on Hwy. 61

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Minnesota’s government shutdown in July delayed the State Highway 61 reconstruction project near Split Rock Lighthouse State Park but work is progressing, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said this week. Beth Petrowske, the public affairs coordinator for MnDOT’s northeast district, said the project should be completed by late September with paving beginning this week.

The $14.4 million project is a reconstruction of 3.4 miles of Highway 61 from the Split Rock River to Chapin’s Curve. Construction crews have flattened hills, straightened curves, and added 10-foot shoulders. Near the state park, the entire road path was shifted to the northwest, taking out a dangerous, hilly curve near a wayside rest.

The work is also expected to improve drainage on the roadway and make access to the parking area at the Split Rock River more accessible. That lot is popular as it is the head of a favorite leg of the Superior Hiking Trail inland. It includes a pedestrian underpass for access to Lake Superior without walking across the highway.

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