Two Harbors 4th Street closes for weeks, detour in place

Drivers in Two Harbors lost a key downtown route when 4th Street, also marked Highway 2, closed between 7th Avenue and 12th Avenue, including the 12th Avenue intersection, with the shutdown expected to run through July 17, 2026. The closure affects one of the city’s main east-west corridors, forcing commuters, delivery vehicles and local traffic onto a posted detour using 8th Street, Paul Antonich Drive and 20th Avenue, also marked Highway 26.

The work started June 1 at 8th and 9th Avenues and was scheduled to move to 10th, 11th and 12th Avenues beginning June 8. During the closure, 4th Street is to remain open to residents and businesses between 12th Avenue and 20th Avenue, but access patterns will still change sharply around the closed block. The notice also said hospital access will be maintained at all times through 10th, 11th or 12th Avenues, a detail that makes clear the project is being managed around one of the city’s most important daily functions.

For businesses along and near the corridor, the closure changes how customers and suppliers reach downtown. Traffic that normally cuts straight through 4th Street now has to swing around the work zone, which can slow local errands and complicate deliveries during the summer travel season. For residents, the practical impact is just as direct: side-street access, parking patterns and the easiest route to nearby destinations all shift as the construction window moves from block to block.

The project is part of a larger Two Harbors street and utility buildout already underway. On April 27, the City Council approved Utility Systems of America, Inc. for the 4th Street and 15th Street and Alley Watermain Replacement Projects, and City Engineer Brotzler said the 4th Street work cost more in part because water service had to be maintained for the hospital during construction. The council also approved bond financing for the projects, with about $3.5 million covering remaining water and sanitary sewer portions. A March 9 council update had already pointed to progress on the 4th Street watermain replacement from 10th Avenue to 12th Avenue.

Another closure is also in place on 15th Street between 7th Avenue and 8th Avenue, showing how much of Two Harbors is being affected at once by the current round of utility work. Zeke Myers of Bolton & Menk is listed as the project contact at 507-613-8905 and zeke.myers@bolton-menk.com.