REGIONAL— The annual pilgrimage from across the region to Ely’s Blueberry/Art Festival, set for July 28-30, could take a bit longer than in some recent years for folks planning to travel on Hwy. 169.
A mill and overlay project got underway earlier this week on a roughly seven-mile stretch from the Pike River bridge in Vermilion Lake Township, to the intersection of Hwy. 135 in Tower.
While the project will entail lane closures beginning sometime in August, the preliminary work underway this week is focused on the removal of the box culvert over the West Two River, located about a mile west of Tower.
Traffic will be reduced to 45 miles per hour near the culvert site, restricted to 12-foot lane widths and shifted onto the shoulder, but no closures are expected.
But given the volume of traffic that routinely heads to Ely for its most popular summer festival, the anticipated slowdown could lead to backups.
Travelers hoping to avoid the work zone altogether can do so by turning east at the intersection between Hwy. 169 and Cty. Rd. 26 and continuing on 26 to Hwy. 135. From there, travelers can head north on Hwy. 135 to Tower, where they can resume traveling on Hwy. 169 just past the construction zone.
Watch the Timberjay for more updates on the Hwy. 169 project as it continues through September.