AKELEY — The Minnesota Department of Transportation is now in the second stage of the construction project on Highway 34.
Highway 34, as of Tuesday, Aug. 22, will be closed from Pleasant Avenue to Graceson Avenue. Motorists will detour the work zone by using Pleasant Avenue, Fourth Street and Graceson Avenue.
This stage of the project is expected to be complete in late September, with the final project completion expected in mid-October.
The $4 million project will reduce the width of the street, adding boulevards with sidewalks and trees.
“What we find with roads that are too wide is that drivers typically drive faster than the posted speeds,” stated the project website. “Reducing the width will provide natural traffic calming, which will help reduce motorist speeds through town.”
The corridor reconstruction project is also believed to make it easier for vehicles to turn more predictably and improve sightlines for drivers at the highways 34 and 64 intersection.