With the deadline closing in for MnDOT to begin seeking bids for the Highway 61 project slated to begin this summer at Fall Creek, MnDOT held an open house to show the plans one last time to the public on Wednesday, Jan. 9. Staff photo/Brian Larsen
Not too much has changed in the design plan that was unveiled in November 2018 for the Highway 61 project that will come through Grand Marais during the summer of 2020.
Still there were some updates, the majority of them detailing where trees, kiosks, bike racks, raised planters, public art pedestals, cement benches will go, as well as a couple of lighting options for the streets.
Displaying the design elements was CJ Fernandez, Landscape Architect, AFLA, who addressed the people who turned out to the Wednesday, Jan. 9 open house at 3 p.m.
CJ has been working with the Creative Economic Collaborative (CEC) on designing new features, elements and amenities associated with the Highway 61 project. He is also working with the park board on the new entrance sign to the park and the Community Connection corner.
Little to no maintenance will be needed on any of the roadside amenities because they will be made with cement, steel, or wood, or a combination of those products. The comments in the room about the items CJ presented were favorable.
In the summer of 2019, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) will begin reconstruction of Highway 61 through Grand Marais from 1.8 miles north of Cutface Creek to 0.1 miles south of County Road 14, to resurface, improve accessibility and replace box culverts.
In conjunction with MnDOT’s work, the city will replace sewer mains and have other underground utility work done at several junctions, beginning at Eighth Avenue West, as well as add the bike racks, kiosks, benches etc.
Work will begin at Fall Creek where the bridge will be taken out and replaced. Highway 61 will be shut down entirely during this phase that will last approximately three weeks and traffic will be rerouted up Highway 7.
The goal is to have the project reach Eighth Avenue in Grand Marais by the end of the 2019 construction season, but if possible, work will begin in town during the summer of 2019.
Some questions were raised about the width of the highway in town and MnDOT’s plans to keep the speed limit at 30 mph through town.
Plans are to change the width of the road through town from 54 to 59 feet to 44 feet wide. With less space for trucks to unload freight, business owners also have wondered how their merchandise was going to be brought safely into their stores without traffic being blocked.
Another concern was that as it stands now the majority of road work through Grand Marais would occur from July to fall.
And although property will have to be purchased from some business owners for the road work, and the state has had those properties assessed, no one has received a price from the state about what will be paid for the land.
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