Highway 53

A foundations testing project will begin in the Rouchleau Pit this week. The first stage of work will be to improve the access road used to bring in the larger equipment that will be needed in the pit. This road will take one to two weeks to construct.

The Highway 53 relocation represents one of the largest highway projects that the State of Minnesota has ever undertook. The move is necessary to allow for mining expansion. Today, the Minnesota Department of Transportation issued a statement suggesting that they may not hit the 2017 target date for relocation.

A meeting to update the public about the latest regarding the Highway 53 Relocation Project has been rescheduled for Thursday, April 3 at the Hoover Road MNDOT Building in Virginia.  The start time for this event is 10AM. The public is invited to take part in  the session, which will address the status of this project...

Highway 53 south of Virginia must move to make way for future mining expansion by United Taconite.  Plans have been in the works for the last few years to propose, design, and move the major arterial highway by 2017.  No compromise has been reached yet on a new route and now new wrinkles appear to create an even deeper quagmire.

The Coffee and Conversation that was scheduled to take place on December 5 has been rescheduled due to the weather.  That meeting will now take place on Thursday, December 12 at 10AM at the Virginia Hoover Road MNDOT Building. If you have questions or concerns about the project, contact the Project Manager, Roberta Dwyer, roberta...

If you wonder why Highway 53 has been in the news a lot lately and aren't sure of the backstory of the relocation project, this video does a good job of explaining all the details.

The plans to relocate the portion of Highway 53 just south of Virginia continue to march on.  The Minnesota Department of Transportation invites everyone to a meeting on Thursday, November 7 which will set the stage for the final Economic Study Report, which will be presented to the public afterwards.

The Highway 53 Relocation Project “Coffee & Conversation” meeting scheduled for Tuesday, September 3, has been canceled.

Officials with the Minnesota Department of Transportation have announced that they will not include a west route alternative as part of the Highway 53 re-route near Virginia.

The next community meeting for the Highway 53 re-route project is scheduled for Wednesday, June 19th, 10AM;  On  the agenda is the presentation of a new proposed route:  E1.

It's a project that's sure to affect thousands of northlanders that travel on Highway 53 on the Iron Range, south of Virginia, Minnesota.  The planning stage of the Highway 53 Relocation Project marches on with another informational meeting set for June 12th.

Northland residents and motorists will get another opportunity to learn about the Highway 53 Relocation Project at a Coffee And Conversation Event, Tuesday May 14th at the MnDOT office in Virginia.