Heads up, motorists and trail enthusiasts: if your route usually includes County Road 226 or the Soo-Line Trail, you'll need to work around scheduled maintenance this week. Citing a public service announcement from the Morrison County government, workers will be installing centerline culverts on County Road 226. This necessary work will disrupt daytime travel between County Road 227 and County Road 225 for the duration of the installation.
Travel isn't the only thing that's getting a trim—roadside ditches are also on the maintenance docket. Mowing these ditches, which might seem like a small task, maintains visibility and prevents overgrowth that can impede drainage or conceal hazards. And while ditches are getting groomed, the Soo-Line Trail bridges aren't being overlooked, with local government confirming that maintenance on these structures is also jammed into this week's schedule.
But don't rest easy just yet; the following week adds more orange cones to your view. County Road 220 is next on the list for culvert installation. Daytime drivers should plan alternative routes between CSAH 12 and Highway 27 from July 21 through 25. Although disruptions can be a headache, these public works are all about safety and infrastructure resilience, updating these older systems to handle whatever Mother Nature or increased traffic throws at them.
While detailing the upcoming closures, the county's maintenance report didn't specify expected delays, but having experienced numerous such projects, locals can undoubtedly anticipate some slowdowns. Scheduled roadwork, although necessary, always has a way of throwing a wrench in our plans. Anyone who plans to be in these areas during the specified times should remain patient, plan ahead, and keep an eye on Morrison County's alerts page for updates, just in case. And let's be real, it's summer in Minnesota—construction is as predictable as the Twins losing in the playoffs.
