A meeting was held at the Aitkin Public Library Community Room April 16 for businesses and residents to hear about the proposed project, project impacts and voice any concerns about the Minnesota Department of Transportation 2024 construction project on Hwy. 169 from Aitkin to north of Hassman.
MnDOT Construction Project Manager Nate Walton led the meeting. He explained that the road will be reconstructed with an unbonded concrete overlay and the shoulders will be widened from the Ripple River in Aitkin to Hwy. 210 in Hassman. Turn lanes will be lengthened and a bridge will also be replaced. An unbonded concrete overlay has an interlayer that goes over an existing (patched) surface to prevent cracks from transferring. After that is complete, 7-10 inches of new concrete is poured over the interlayer.
Ulland Brothers Inc. was awarded the project and had representatives at the meeting. The company is among the largest excavating and paving contractors in the region.
The project will provide a smoother, wider, stronger road surface with improved safety and traffic flow along the 11 miles. Walton said that access will be open and maintained for those who live, work or visit along the closed work zone but to expect changes as portions of the project are completed. On occasion, the detours will overlap each other.
CONCERNS
Several residents and business owners/employees were at the meeting. Some of the concerns were:
• John Sommers, owner of Johnny’s Garage is concerned about his business with his location being north of Aitkin on Hwys. 169 and 210. He offers auto repair and a 24-hour towing service. His business accommodates lawnmowers to semi trucks. Ulland’s Project Superintendent Kevin Lange said that he would be able to access his business and it wouldn’t be a “hard closure” for 45 days, “I’d say it would be less than a week,” and (customers) could get to his business via the shoulder. MnDOT will also look into some signage for Sommers’ business considering its location.
• Aitkin Fire Chief Brian Pisarek asked, “Is that going to be open for emergency services up through there? If there’s a fire at Johnny’s Garage … if we have to go through McGregor to get there ....” The contractors said they are in constant contact with emergency dispatchers about when areas of roads are impassable and again when passable.
• A resident asked about local fuel deliveries and any issues. Ulland’s Jordan Moser said, “We will make an access one way or another.”
• Frontage/service road use and deterioration was talked about. The Hyytinen Hardware Hank parking lot already sees a lot of vehicles using it as a through street. Walton said that MnDOT will be speaking with business owners on the service road and potentially installing signage.
• Aitkin County Engineer John Welle asked several questions and said he was concerned about traffic backups, specifically those wanting to turn left onto Hwy. 47. “We will look at it as far as being a safety concern,” said Walton. Possible signage and how areas were to be paved (sections) was also discussed. Once a section is complete it will be opened in the hopes of alleviating some of the traffic congestion.
• A resident said he lives on the Great River Road and said he was worried about larger vehicles veering from the designated detour and taking roads with a lower allowable permit axle weight. He asked Walton if that would be monitored. “If we get the traffic that we had last year, it’s going to really beat it (the road) up.” Walton said that with the detour, “We are trying to direct them down a more suitable corridor, but there are people who will use that Great River Road among other roads.” He said if it became a problem, MnDOT does have some means to address it.
• A question was asked, “During the town part of the closures, (are) there any provisions to get commercial trucks turned south at the stoplights … east bound traffic? That’s a pretty tight corner.” Walton said he did not think so.
The final year of reconstruction got underway Monday as Hwy. 169/210 closed between Aitkin and Hassman. A detour through McGregor will be in effect until sometime in mid-October.
For more details, view maps or to contact the project team, visit the project web page at www.dot.state.mn.us/d3/projects/aitkin-hassman/
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