REGIONAL— The closure of Hwy. 1 on Tuesday, just west of the Y Store, created more than the usual inconvenience for travelers between the Cook and Tower areas this week.
For weeks this summer, most of the east-west traffic in the area has shifted onto Hwy. 1 to avoid the traffic delays and rough conditions stemming from the ongoing mill and overlay project along County. Rd. 115, the other east-west option between Tower and Cook.
But that option disappeared as of Tuesday this week for the replacement of a culvert about three miles west of the Y Store. Rather than work with vehicle traffic, the contractors opted to close the road entirely, detouring the Hwy. 1 traffic onto County Rd. 115. While the surface milling on that project is complete, portions of the road remained unpaved as of Tuesday and work and traffic delays were continuing on the project.
According to MnDOT, work on the Hwy. 1 culvert project is expected to last through next Wednesday, Sept. 11. It’s unclear whether Hwy. 1 will be closed that entire time, but detour signs will be posted until the roadway is reopened.