Highway 78 construction update

By Marie T. Johnson

August 23, 2013 at 9:50 AM

Motorists on Highway 78 between Battle Lake and Ottertail will encounter a detour beginning Monday, Aug. 26, while crews replace several culverts south of Ottertail and begin reconstruction work in downtown Battle Lake.

Traffic will be diverted to Highway 108 and Highway 210. The detour is scheduled to last through early October.

Only local residents and motorists accessing businesses located within the closure area may use Highway 78. The road will not be passable at culvert replacement sites and within a three- block section of downtown Battle Lake.

On Aug. 26, Highway 78 will reopen between Perham and Ottertail, but motorists may encounter occasional lane closures. Flaggers will be present the week of Aug. 26 in the city of Ottertail while crews replace a culvert.

Battle Lake reconstruction

Highway 78/Lake Avenue reconstruction in Battle Lake also will begin Aug. 26. A parking ban will take effect Sunday evening, Aug. 25, so crews can begin removing the existing pavement Monday morning.

Once work begins, Lake Avenue between Holdt Street and Summit Street will close, and traffic will detour to adjacent streets.

Access to businesses on Lake Avenue will be maintained throughout the project. The current sidewalks and curbing will remain in place through Labor Day. Alternate business accesses will be established, as needed.

Project information

The public is invited to attend weekly project meetings. They will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesdays at the Battle Lake City Hall, 108 East Main Street, Battle Lake, Minn. Representatives from the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Mark Sand and Gravel will be available to answer questions and address concerns.

More information about the project is available at www.mndot.gov/d4/projects/hwy78 . The website includes a link to sign up for weekly project updates by email.

When the project is complete, motorists will notice a smoother, safer ride along 26 miles of Highway 78.

For real-time travel information anywhere in Minnesota, visit www.511mn.org or dial 5-1-1.

By Marie T. Johnson

A writer, editor and mom of four (two kids, two dogs), Marie's been in the newspaper business for over 20 years. She started at the Detroit Lakes Tribune in 2017 after working just down the road at the Perham Focus for several years. Before that, she was at the Herald-Review in Grand Rapids, Minn.