Road work! Look for lane closures starting June 20 on Highway 371 by Brainerd International Raceway

BAXTER — Highway 371 travelers north of Brainerd-Baxter can expect weekday lane closures with reduced speeds in both directions starting Monday, June 20, from south of Gull Lake Dam Road (just south of Brainerd International Raceway) to north of Green Gables Road (by Dunmire's on the Lake).

This is for a $6.8 million access and safety improvement project.

Construction will end Nov 1.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation will reconstruct three intersections with a reduced conflict intersection design, also known as a J-turn, at Gull Lake Dam Road, Birchdale Road (Brainerd International Raceway main entrance) and Green Gables Road.

The two-year project will also reconstruct and extend both frontage roads along Highway 371; replace underground pipes and repair ditch drainage; and resurface work areas, which includes shoulders and entrances.

In a reduced conflict intersection, drivers always make a right turn followed by a U-turn. This reduces potential conflict points and improves safety, MnDOT said in a news release. These intersections decrease fatalities and injuries caused by broadside crashes on four-lane divided highways.

Access will be open to those who live, work or visit areas within the work zones; however, expect changes, MnDOT said. Highway 371 will always be open to BIR at Birchdale Road or Landmark Drive.

Later this summer, Green Gables Road will be detoured to reconstruct the entrance to Highway 371. More details will be released later.

In June 2023, crews will return to complete Theatre Road and pave any remaining gravel areas along Highway 371.

For more information, contact MnDOT Construction Project Manager Nate Walton at nathan.walton@state.mn.us or 218-537-3144, or visit the Highway 371 webpage at www.mndot.gov/d3/projects/rci/h371/ .

• Weekdays: Lane closures at off-peak hours, reduced speeds, narrowed lanes or no shoulders. Work will occur on good weather days, during daylight hours, Monday morning through noon Friday.
• Overnights: Head-to-head traffic on one side as crews replace pipes below the north or southbound side. Work will begin the week of June 26, on good weather days, between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays for approximately two weeks.
• Weekends and holidays: All four lanes will be open.