Minnesota Road Construction Plans Target Duluth, Northland Infrastructure Improvements

The Minnesota Department of Transportation outlined a sweeping 2026 construction agenda that places several significant projects squarely in St. Louis County and the broader Northland, with work on four corridors set to begin later this spring.

The state's construction plans include repaving, constructing roundabouts and intersection improvements on Highway 61/London Road in Duluth, as well as reconstructing Highway 2 between Highway 194 and Midway Road west of Proctor. Two additional Northland projects round out the local slate: resurfacing of Highway 53 from Haines Road in Duluth to Midway Road in Hermantown, and repaving of Highway 169 between Ely and Winton.

The 2026 construction season includes just over 200 planned projects that will improve state roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure, plus 51 projects that will improve airports, water ports, railroad crossings and transit.

MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger said the projects "will help people get around more easily, improve safety, create smoother pavement and improve connectivity for everyone who relies on our multimodal transportation system."

Motorists should be prepared to encounter reduced speed limits, traffic changes and lane closures when work gets underway. Real-time information about traffic and road conditions is available at 511mn.org or through the free 511mn smartphone app.

The Highway 61/London Road corridor is among the most heavily traveled routes on the North Shore, making the combination of repaving, new roundabouts and intersection upgrades among the most consequential local improvements in the package. The Highway 2 reconstruction west of Proctor addresses one of the key connectors between Duluth and the Iron Range interior.