MnDOT Talks Paul Bunyan/Hwy 197 Corridor To Beltrami County Commissioners

The planning director for Minnesota Department of Transportation spoke with Beltrami County commissioners at a board work session meeting yesterday about the Highway 197 project.

Darren Laesch explained the corridor study and the alternative options available. He talked about crash issues and concerns about pedestrians and bicyclists and how they’re looking into ways to safely navigate the corridor. Laesch says they hope to come up with the best solution that works for everybody.

“We’re looking at some additional right of way for those improvements to the sidewalk, to the trails. We are considering some roundabouts at the signalized intersections that are impacting adjacent properties. And we’re changing how people can access some of the businesses. So we’ve reached out to as many businesses as we can,” Laesch said.