Highway 61

Hwy. 61 bridge construction begins April 8 near Red Wing

Apr 3, 2024

Construction to replace the Highway 61 bridge over the Canadian Pacific Railway at the south end of Red Wing is scheduled to begin April 8, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Before construction begins, motorists might encounter brief delays while heavy equipment is being...

Lumber truck crash leaves big mess

Mar 27, 2024

A spilled load of lumber along Hwy. 61 south of Lake City took hours to clean up Friday. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, at around 4 a.m. a 21-year-old from Ellsworth, Wis., “lost control of his truck hauling lumber and it tipped on its side onto the right guardrail. The lumber load was...

Hit and run under investigation

Jan 3, 2024

The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating a hit and run on Highway 61 on Saturday. It was the first of two accidents that happened within minutes of one another near mile marker 87 south of Red Wing, Sgt. Troy Christianson said. At 4:11 p.m. a “vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle traveling...

Public meeting on Hwy. 61 railroad bridge replacement in Red Wing

Nov 22, 2023

The public is invited to attend an in-person public meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 29 to learn more about a project to replace the Highway 61 bridge over CP Rail south of Red Wing, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. People can go to the meeting any time from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p....

City plans safety fix for downtown sidewalks

Oct 11, 2023

Changes are coming to the downtown sidewalks on South Lakeshore Drive. At the city council meeting on Oct. 9, City Public Works Director Scott Jensen asked for and received city council consensus to modify planters partially surrounded by raised curbs that business owners say have caused falls and...

Highway 61 reopens between Lake City and Red Wing

Oct 4, 2023

The Highway 61 detour between Lake City and Red Wing has been removed and the road is open to traffic, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Motorists should be alert for construction work that will continue in the work zone over the next several weeks, including final paving...

Hwy. 61 reopens to Hansen’s Harbor

Aug 16, 2023

Motorists on Highway 61 north of Lake City can directly reach Hansen’s Harbor on the highway, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The road remains closed at the Wells Creek bridge, which is expected to be completed in late August. Motorists traveling to Frontenac or Red Wing...

Current Hwy. 61 construction comes a century after camps created to build it

Aug 9, 2023

The Florence Township History Center has information about a project that created State Route 3 (later incorporated into U.S. Hwy. 61) a century ago. But it’s a little harder to access these days because of another construction project on the road. “This farmland, 160 acres, was awarded to Harvey...

Hwy. 61 closure at Ski Road begins July 20

Jul 19, 2023

Hwy. 61 will be closed at the Ski Road intersection starting Thursday, July 20 near Frontenac as crews construct passing lanes, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The closure means people traveling from Red Wing to Frontenac on Highway 61 will need to use the detour – Highway...

Hwy. 61 work begins July 5

Jun 28, 2023

Highway 61 motorists should prepare for detours north of Lake City and south of Red Wing to begin on July 5, when crews are scheduled to resurface the highway, add passing lanes and realign some intersections, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Approximately 10 miles of...