Bemidji road project on Hannah Avenue, Middle School Drive ahead of schedule

Drivers headed to Bemidji Middle School, Westgate Shopping Center, Menards and the Target delivery area are starting to see relief sooner than planned as the Hannah Avenue and Middle School Drive reconstruction moves faster than expected. The city’s portion of the Highway 197 corridor project covers the stretch from 23rd Street NW to the Target delivery access area, and the faster pace could shorten detours and other disruption for nearby residents and businesses.

Reierson Construction Inc. began work on the city segment July 7, 2025. The original city schedule called for completion by early October 2025, weather permitting, but the project is now being treated as part of a broader corridor rebuild that MnDOT says will carry the city’s work through 2026 and the full Highway 197 project through 2027.

The design goes well beyond a simple road resurfacing. The corridor plan will replace signalized intersections at Hannah Avenue, Middle School Drive and the Menards entrance with roundabouts, add a 10-foot multi-use trail on both sides of Highway 197, upgrade corridor lighting and realign Gillette Drive NW. City officials have said the goal is to improve safety and mobility for all users, including people walking and biking through the retail corridor and families moving in and out of the school area.

The project has been shaped by years of planning and debate. MnDOT said more than 30 businesses were interviewed between 2018 and 2021, and the plan was revised after earlier objections from businesses concerned about losing left-hand turns and dealing with median barriers. That history helps explain why the reconstruction has drawn close attention from people who depend on the corridor for school access, deliveries and daily trips to stores along Highway 197.

Cost figures attached to the project have also shifted over time in the planning record. One report placed the city bid for the Hannah Avenue and Middle School Drive work at $4.35 million. An earlier project update said the combined MnDOT and city project was awarded $18 million, with $14.4 million for MnDOT’s share and $3.6 million for the city’s share.

For Bemidji, the key change is timing: the city’s segment is moving ahead before MnDOT’s later phases arrive, giving local traffic a chance to settle sooner even as the larger Highway 197 overhaul continues into 2027.