Detours, construction expected to resume with Indus-to-Loman project in 2012
There is some good news for drivers who experienced delays last summer traveling Highway 11 west of International Falls: No detours are expected this summer.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation held a public information meeting Tuesday in Birchdale to discuss improvements planned for Highway 11 in 2012.
The Highway 11 Task Force took this as an opportunity to review what has already been done on the highway and what is planned for the future, said Koochiching County Commissioner Mike Hanson, who represents the area.
The construction will run from one mile west of Indus to 0.7 miles west of Loman, about six miles. Crews will replace culverts, widen shoulders and provide a mill and overlay. A contract for project is scheduled to be awarded in April 2012, with construction expected to start July 2012.
A detour may be necessary to accomplish that work, according to MnDOT officials, but is expected to be of less duration than that experienced during summer 2010.
Debra Bauer, MnDOT project manager for Highway 11 construction, noted that public comment at the meeting expressed positive feelings for the road improvements, but concern about access to transportation routes during construction time.
Both Bauer and Hanson noted that communication with the public is important in the next phases of the project.
“Because of the uniqueness of the area and the lack of side roads, communication is a big issue with the people who live here,” Bauer explained.
Road crews were forced to close portions of Highway 11 last summer as they worked on an 18-mile portion of the highway from Frontier Landing to Indus. Providing the public information on the closures and alternate routes proved to be a challenge.
“We’re very happy to have such a large group of residents to provide input so we can improve projects in the future,” she said of the 33 attendees at Tuesday’s meeting.
A smaller project near the Clementson Bridge is expected this summer, Hanson said.
“It’ll be very easy compared to last summer,” he noted.
Bauer explained that no detours are expected from the September construction. Bids for this portion of work are expected to be awarded in July.
This is all part of a project expected to upgrade Highway 11 to a 10-ton road between the Pelland Junction and Baudette by 2014. Portions of the project have been already been completed in previous construction seasons. Discussions on these Highway 11 improvements have been ongoing since 2001.
“(We’ll have) a 10-ton road some people never thought they’d see,” said Hanson.
