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Culvert replacements continue and crews are currently working on replacements between County Road 37 and County Road 39. Keep reading below for more progress details.
Thru-traffic: If you don't have a destination on Highway 34, please take the detour route on County Road 47, Highway 87 and County Road 29. From one end of the project to the other, the detour could add 20 extra miles to your drive; however, long delays and closures within the work zone on Highway 34 will cause major impacts to travel time. Please plan accordingly.
Heading to WE Fest? Please stick to the detour if you don't have a destination on Highway 34.
 Current progress and schedule
Culverts 1-7 are now complete, and crews have started work on culvert 8. They hope to have it passable before the weekend, but it is possible the area may remain closed until Monday if something doesn't go as planned.
Once they are done with culvert 8, they'll move to culvert 9 next week! Culvert 9 is larger, so they expect that location to remain closed for at least three days. Due to the culvert's location, the Culvert 9 closure will impact access to County Road 117 from Highway 34. If you live on County Road 117, you will need to use a different route to get to your road temporarily.
As a reminder: there are 11 culvert replacements total, plus the large box culvert/bridge at the Shell River. Each culvert replacement is anticipated to take approximately one to three days—this varies depending on location.
 Another crew has started prep work at the Shell River box culvert/bridge. The hard closure at the Shell River is currently scheduled to start the week of August 7, and it will be closed to all traffic for approximately 5 weeks. When that work begins, local traffic will not be able to access Highway 34 from the east near Osage, so you will need to take the detour or find an alternate route around the bridge.
By mid-August, reclaiming and paving will begin. Crews will start near the contractor's pit, located near Toad Lake, and the operations will move west toward Detroit Lakes. Delays will be significant when that work starts. There will be multiple flaggers and pilot cars, and motorists will have to stop and wait for several operations within a 5-mile or more stretch. Please plan ahead.
Local traffic impacts and changes
Please note: in the areas where crews are working, the culvert site is impassable. If you must travel on Highway 34 to get to your destination, be aware that your route and access will change daily based on where the crews are located.
Please obey the flaggers. The detour is the best route for those who do not have a destination on Highway 34—it will save you time instead of trying to find alternate ways around. Flaggers will direct you back to the detour if your destination doesn't fall within the work zone.
Schedule snapshot
- Week of July 31: Replace culverts 9 through 11
- Week of August 7: Hard closure at Shell River for box culvert/bridge replacement (lasting 5 weeks)
- Mid-August: Reclaiming and paving begin, with daily lane closures and flaggers/pilot cars.
All schedules and work plans are subject to change at any time based on weather, contractor schedules or other unforeseen circumstances or issues. The overall project is expected to be completed by mid-October.
For more information about the project, visit the project website.
For real-time traffic and travel information in Minnesota, visit www.511mn.org or get the free smartphone app at Google Play or the App Store.
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