MnDOT study identifies detour gaps on Highway 61, flags improvements and sign needs near Grand Marais

MnDOT transportation planner Erica Shepherd and consultant Joe Devore told the Cook County council that a multi-year North Shore Roadway Network Resilience Study will analyze alternate routes to Highway 61 from Two Harbors to the Canadian border and produce segment-level closure action plans in spring 2027.

Shepherd said the study covers roughly 125 miles of Highway 61 divided into 10 segments and about 140 subsegments and will evaluate existing and future conditions, climate and infrastructure vulnerabilities, and investment priorities. "The end goal and deliverable will come in spring 2027 with closure action plans," Shepherd said.

Consultant Joe Devore described several recent closure cases that shaped the study’s priorities: a blizzard that temporarily isolated parts of the corridor, the Stewart Trail Fire in May that closed a segment for 4½ days, and planned culvert work that could require a 12‑day detour on Arrowhead Trail. Devore said a 49‑mile, 56‑minute posted detour was used during one incident and that local drivers often sought shorter cut‑throughs — routes that are frequently too narrow or rough for freight and two‑way traffic.

To assess local road feasibility, the team is using RoadAI dash‑cam video analysis to estimate roadway width, pavement condition, line markings and signage, and is assembling culvert inventories for county and Forest Service roads. Devore told the council that culvert data are strong for Highway 61 but patchy on many local and Forest Service routes, which complicates planning for longer detours.

The presentation highlighted a particular concern around Grand Marais: the study found more gaps in viable detour routes in Cook County than in Lake County and identified County Road 7 and several older alignments as candidate upgrades. The team emphasized seasonality — some forest and gravel roads are only passable in summer or are groomed for snowmobiling in winter — and noted spring load restrictions that would limit freight movement on many county roads.

Council members and residents pressed the presenters on tradeoffs between upgrading a longer paved route versus improving a shorter gravel alignment, and on the importance of wayfinding. Shepherd and Devore said wayfinding and variable message signage will be a critical, low‑cost component to keep drivers on safe detour routes and to prevent tourists from following unsuitable summer or recreational trails.

The study team described recent stakeholder engagement (focus groups on emergency management, tourism, environment and business), public outreach at regional events, and an open house planned for Aug. 20 in Schroeder. Next steps include fall detour analysis, winter concept development and spring 2027 delivery of closure action plans that local, federal and tribal partners can use when applying for grant funding to implement improvements.

The council did not take formal action on the study at the meeting; staff and presenters were encouraged to continue local coordination and to provide maps and contact information for further comment.