Detours Ahead: Road Changes at Highway 169 and Highway 27

ONAMIA (WJON News) -- Drivers who are heading north to the Mille Lacs Lake area should be aware of some road construction that will force some drivers to detour.

Starting on Monday, crews will start preparing the construction zone at Highway 169 and Highway 27 north of Onamia by installing traffic control devices, widening shoulders, and mobilizing equipment.

Following the Memorial Day weekend, access to and from Highway 27 from Highway 169 will be closed to build a new roundabout at that intersection.

The three-month project looks to improve safety and access at the intersection, which has a history of severe crashes. The Minnesota Department of Transportation says the roundabout is designed to reduce speeds and cut down on high-risk turning movements.

The $4.5-million project includes a four-legged roundabout, the installation of a right-in/right-out entrance at the Veterans Club, a new concrete median with three-quarters access from Highway 169, and the realignment of Twilight Road to and from westbound Highway 27.

Highway 169 will remain open to through traffic, but drivers should prepare for lane shifts and narrow lanes with no shoulders.

Drivers looking to access Highway 27 will be detoured via Mille Lacs County Road 23 through late August.

minnesota department of transportation

LOOK: These Things in the 1980s Scared the Heck Out of Kids

From terrifying TV movies to strangers selling candy and creepy movie scenes, these unsettling moments stuck with ’80s kids long after the bedroom lights were supposed to be off.

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

The ’90s Are Back: Let's Look at the Famous Faces Who Made the Decade Iconic

Feeling nostalgic for the ’90s? Take a look at the faces and styles that defined the era — back when the world was on the verge of Y2K and social media didn’t exist.

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

LOOK: The Most Iconic Magazine Covers of the '80s and '90s

From Demi Moore’s groundbreaking pregnancy portrait to Janet Jackson’s provocative Rolling Stone cover — and even "Bat Boy" makes an appearance — these unforgettable ’80s and ’90s magazine moments defined pop culture and captured an era before the internet took over.

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

Filed Under: minnesota department of transportation