The Minnesota Department of Transportation will host an open house on Thursday to show off plans and answer questions for a planned roundabout on Hwy. 61 at 170th Street in Hugo.

The session will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at Hugo City Hall, 14669 Fitzgerald Avenue N.

Work on the $1.4 million project is set to begin around June 10 and continue through early September, according to MnDOT. Highway 61 and Hardwood Creek Trail will remain open to traffic during construction, but here are roads that will be closed at various times:

  • June 10- late-June: 170th Street North at Hwy 61 will be closed
  • Late-June- mid-Aug: County Road 4 at Hwy 61 will be closed and Hwy 61 traffic will be bypassed onto a temporary roadway with an all way stop at 170th Street North
  • Mid-Aug- early-Sept: 170th Street North at Hwy 61 will be closed. Hwy 61 and County Road 4 will utilize the new roundabout

MnDOT says construction of the single-lane roundabout is needed at the intersection, which has been the site of several crashes resulting in an average of five people being injured a year

The roundabout to be built would be the second in Hugo.

Officials say roundabouts facilitate smoother traffic flow, create fewer traffic delays, increases fuel efficiency and are a safety improvement.