Hwy. 61 bridge damage means 27-mile detour on North Shore

North Shore travelers at the beginning of this Labor Day weekend could run into some delays on a major highway northeast of Duluth.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation says a vehicle struck and damaged a railroad bridge over Highway 61 at Taconite Harbor on Thursday. That's caused transportation officials to close the heavily traveled highway and direct motorists to a 27-mile detour, much of it on gravel roads.

Construction crews are taking down the bridge which was once used for taconite rail shipments. It's hoped that could be completed sometime Friday and the highway reopened.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.