ELY — Drivers in the Ely area should expect significant disruptions on Hwy. 1 this fall and next spring as the Minnesota Department of Transportation moves forward with repairs to three flood-damaged culverts, part of a statewide construction season that MnDOT says will include more than 200 road and bridge projects.
The Hwy. 1 culvert work is among the most consequential local projects in the 2026 announcement. Two of the three repairs will require full road closures with lengthy detours; the third will use a portable stoplight to allow traffic to continue moving.
The first closure, located 7.6 miles southeast of Ely near the Birch River Dam, will detour traffic via New Tomahawk Road to Scott Road/Ely-Babbitt Road to County Road 21 N, a roughly 30-mile detour.
That work is scheduled to begin in mid-September and run through mid-October, with an estimated three weeks of traffic impacts.
The second closure, located approximately 0.5 miles northwest of the Knotted Pine Inn and Tavern near Weiss Creek, will push traffic onto a 44-mile detour using Lax Lake Road to County Hwy. 11 to County Road 2.
That work is now scheduled for mid-May through late June 2027, with an estimated one month of impacts.
A third culvert repair site, located 4.1 miles east of the Hwy. 1 and Hwy. 53 intersection near Angora, will use a portable stoplight rather than a full detour. That work is planned for late August through mid-October.
All three culverts were damaged in previous flooding events.
Closer to Ely, MnDOT also plans to repave Hwy. 169 between Ely and Winton during the 2026 season.
MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger urged drivers to slow down and stay attentive in work zones. The fine for speeding in a work zone is $300.
Travelers can check project details and detour maps at mndot.gov/construction, or get real-time road condition information at 511mn.org or through the free 511 app.