Hwy 61 Corridor Study - Little Marais to Tofte

About the Project

MnDOT is working to study and design future improvements for Highway 61 along the North Shore of Lake Superior in Lake and Cook Counties. The study area covers about 18 miles, from Little Marais to just north of Tofte.

This study will review the Highway 61 corridor from 2.6 miles north of Little Marais Road (CSAH 6) to 0.2 miles north of Leveaux Ridge Road. In addition to the corridor, the study will review safety concerns at pull-offs and waysides throughout the corridor and at the roadway curves near the Cook and Lake County Line.

The purpose of the study is to create a common vision and guidance for improving safety and efficiency for all users of the corridor. The study will identify and document corridor and community needs, develop and evaluate improvement alternatives, and provide corridor recommendations to increase safety for motorized and non-motorized travel into the future.

A resurfacing project to provide a smoother road surface in the meantime, upgrade guardrails, and make ADA improvements is scheduled for 2027. You can learn more about that construction here: Highway 61 pavement preservation.

Get involved

Thursday, August 20 Open House

An update meeting for 2027 construction work and long-range corridor study will be held Thursday, August 20 at 5 p.m. at the Schroeder Town Hall (124 Cramer Rd, Schroeder, MN 55613). Information presented at the meeting will be posted here afterwards.

Thursday, February 26 Open House

Click on the links below to view content from the public meeting and fill out the online comment form in the "survey" tab below.

One Page Handout

Presentation Boards

Large Corridor Map