With the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza being held this weekend, Highway 371 between Brainerd and Nisswa is expected to be a busy stretch of roadway.

In a release from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, motorists will encounter slow or stopped traffic when the road is reduced to a single lane, and flaggers control traffic at various locations, Saturday, Jan. 27, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The lane closures are needed to accommodate the increased traffic and shuttle buses for the annual Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Hole in the Day Bay on Gull Lake.

Fishing contest participants and spectators are encouraged to use the two shuttle bus service locations. The shuttle services are located at Brainerd International Raceway, just north of Baxter, and at the temporary parking lot at Highway 371 and the north junction of Crow Wing County Road 77 in Nisswa. The busses will run from 8 a.m. to approximately 5 p.m.

The Minnesota State Patrol will provide increased patrols and DWI enforcement to support local law enforcement agencies throughout the event.

Motorists are urged to slow down, use caution and be prepared to stop as they navigate the area.

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

By — Josh Peterson

News Reporter in Bemidji | jpeterson@lptv.org