Hubbard Project Update by Sharon Natzel As many of you know, work on Highway 87 – Hubbard will occur in 2024 and 2025.
Hopefully, you were able to attend the MN Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Open House on Wednesday, 10/4/2023 at the Hubbard Community Center. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.
Sign up for MnDOT email updates on the project:
https://www.dot.state.mn.us/d2/projects/hwy87-hubbard/.
Here are some basic project highlights:
2024 Construction: Reconstruct Hubbard to Third Crow Wing
- Includes reconstructing Highway 87 and widening its shoulders
2025 Construction: Hwy 71 to Hubbard
- Urban reconstruct in Hubbard
- Rural reconstruct, shoulder widening
- Culvert replacement at Long Lake (Plans also call for replacing the DNR-owned inlet control structure tied to MnDOT-owned culvert.)
2025 Construction: Third Crow Wing Lake to Hwy 64
- Resurface
- Culvert replacements
The LLAA 2023 Spring Newsletter contained an article on page 9 about the project and the drilling unit that was placed near the dam to investigate the soils deep below the road so that the box culvert replacement can be engineered correctly. The MnDOT Central Office Geo Tech crew took soil samples for analysis. All newsletters are available online on our website: https://www.longlakeliving.org/p/newsletters.html.
The LLAA E-Blast on 9/23/2023 listed these FAQs which have been answered during the 10/4/2023 MnDOT Open House:
Question 1: Will the 2025 replacement of what we think of as the "dam," which is the MnDOT-owned culvert along with the DNR-owned Inlet Control Structure at the south end of Long Lake, affect the lake water level during the project and after its completion?
Answer 1: The MN DNR has not permitted a change in the water level except to allow for the normal one-foot-level bounce reflected in measurements since the 1990’s. The short-term design includes a bypass pipe rated for a 10-year rain event. Of course, a 100-year rain event would make the water rise.
Watch for more details in the LLAA Spring 2024 Newsletter, including the use of a steel sheet pile cofferdam to create a work area while the lake continues flowing into the stream during construction.
Question 2: What is the MN DNR's involvement in the MnDOT 2025 project? What are the likely impacts, if any, on fish, loons and recreation?
Answer 2: The DNR and the MnDOT teams have met three times to discuss dam safety, water permits, and more. With the water level remaining the same as usual,there will be little to no effect on fish or nesting loons. The south public water access will remain open via Beachview Road. To protect fish spawning between April and July, the work on the dam will begin July 1, 2025 and be completed in 3-1/2 to 4 months.
The new box culvert will be the same height and width as the current 8' x 6' box culvert and will be placed to the east of the existing culvert, This aligns it even better with the stream and helps prevent bank erosion. The new culvert will be lengthened to meet current clear zone standards and eliminate the guard rail. The dam will be cast-in-place concrete. The tree cutting required there will occur between November 1st and March 30th.
Question 3: How will the public access the businesses in Hubbard, the church, the playground, the Township monthly meetings, etc.? The project will require detours.
Answer 3: Detours will be a way of life that summer.
Watch for future articles on this project in the LLAA Newsletters.
