Bemidji Council Approves New Light Poles Along Highway 197 Corridor

Highway 197 through Bemidji was averaging roughly one crash per week before a June 2025 windstorm made conditions worse, knocking down decorative light poles and plunging stretches of Paul Bunyan Drive into darkness. The Bemidji City Council addressed the hazard directly on Monday, approving a replacement plan for the downed poles between Fifth Street NW and First Street E.

The corridor carries between 10,000 and 16,000 vehicles daily through a dense commercial stretch that had already logged one injury per month on average before last summer's storm. Poor nighttime visibility compounds those risks for pedestrians and cyclists sharing the road with heavy vehicle traffic. All replacement poles will match in design, with the city expecting them to arrive in September and be operational by the end of October.

The project's scope shifted because of the windstorm. The original replacement plan, drafted before the June storm, was narrower, targeting only the segment between the Mississippi River bridge and First Street E. The additional storm damage broadened what needed replacing and pushed the timeline from 2025 into this year. At-Large Councilor Audrey Thayer pressed for clarity during Monday's meeting on whether October represented the fastest possible completion date. The funding structure partly explains the delay: state dollars for the project did not become available until after July 2025, constraining when the city could move to bid and procurement.

On costs, state funding covers 75% of eligible project expenses, with the remaining balance drawn from the city's State Aid Construction Account and a construction reserve account. The light pole replacement is a city-managed project, separate from a larger MnDOT corridor reconstruction now getting underway on the same road.

That MnDOT effort, supported in part by an $18 million federal RAISE grant, is scheduled to begin May 4. Through the summer, MnDOT crews will work along Paul Bunyan Drive constructing roundabouts and rebuilding pavement, bringing lane restrictions and periodic detours to the corridor. The full Highway 197 overhaul, shared between MnDOT and the city, will eventually add six roundabouts, a 10-foot multi-use trail along both sides of the highway, and updated lighting throughout the route.

Residents with questions about MnDOT's portion of the work can attend a public open house April 13 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. and from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Bemidji MnDOT Building, 3920 Highway 2 West.

For regular drivers on Paul Bunyan Drive, active construction begins May 4 with lane disruptions expected through summer. The lighting gaps left dark by last year's windstorm are on track to be closed by October, when the new poles are estimated to come online.