Three miles of Highway 371 open

BAXTER -- A three-mile segment of the four-lane expansion of Highway 371 opened Tuesday.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation reported the three-mile stretch of four-lane expansion that opened extends from the junction of Highway 371/Business 371 to DeRosier Road. Work on the remaining 10 miles, between DeRosier Road and just north of Morrison County Road 48, will be completed in the spring.

Work on the $15.6 million project, which began in May, was originally scheduled to be complete next June.

The original project schedule required the contractor to construct the northbound lanes and switch traffic, which would have remained two-way on the entire 13-mile segment during the winter. Reconstruction of the existing southbound lanes was originally scheduled for 2004.

This year, workers graded the site for the new Highway 371 Welcome Center and rest area, replaced a box culvert near Crow Wing Lake, completed the frontage roads along the corridor and constructed two bridges to carry northbound and southbound traffic over the Nokasippi River.