Construction, Closures, + Traffic Impacts Begin On Highway 53 April 1
The Minnesota Department of Transportation will begin a major construction project on one of Northern Minnesota's business corridors. The work is scheduled to begin on April 1st and will also include projects from St. Louis County.
MNDOT Holds Public Meeting On April 1st
MnDOT will be holding a public meeting at Rock Ridge High School on April 1st at 5:30 pm in the Athletic Commons. The public is encouraged to attend and participate. There are other options to view the meeting online as well.
The project will start with installing temporary traffic signals along the corridor on April 1st. Work on the bridge and other projects will take place after.
Highway 53 - Eveleth Rock Ridge Transportation Improvements
The project will remove and replace the bridge at the interchange of Highway 53 and Highway 37 near Eveleth.
MnDOT will also make improvements to intersections on 53 and Bourgin Road, 53 and Hat Trick Avenue, and the roundabout at Progress Parkway. MnDOT will also resurface payment on Highway 53 from Highway 37 to Vermilion Drive. A roundabout will be constructed at the intersection of Progress Parkway.
Additonally, St. Louis County has work planned for a new road to Rock Ridge. You can read more about that from the St. Louis County project page.
Traffic Impacts
Lane closures will be expected, and traffic will route around the on and off-ramps of the bridge when they are closed. The work is expected to be finished by October 2025.
Highway 53 is the gateway to the Iron Range and Northern Minnesota. It's a heavily traveled highway, especially in the summer with cabin owners returning to the lake. We'll have to see how bad the impacts are on busy weekends like the fishing opener, Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and other holidays.
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Gallery Credit: Dom DiFurio & Jacob Osborn