The Bovey Bypass project extends Highway 169's four lanes 2.7 miles around Bovey, MN. For this major relocation, the Mn/DOT has set a completion date of June 30, 2008. If all goes well, HCC's expects to have the majority of the work done and traffic on the road by Fall '07 with minor finishing to be completed in the Spring of 2008.

Work is under way to move the nearly two million yards of dirt. The grading crews have been handling soil that was previously placed by the mining industry. Many talk of the red dirt in Bovey and it’s actually old mine waste that's a silty red dirt with lots of rocks.

There will be two offroad fleets, a scraper fleet, and a pipe crew working this season at Bovey.  There are about 30 people working now, with more dirthogs to follow. The offroads are hauling across Highway 169 into a waste area on the west end of the job. Marty McCuskey said, "Fred Ramp with his 385 and offroads are making short order of the first big cut."

The scrapers are working on the midsection to build up the road to the first marsh area.  The scrapers will begin the major marsh excavation and backfill this season and will continue until freezing conditions shut down the operation for the winter.

John Hess and his pipe crew are working on pipe in town this month. He has his hands full with a triple run of 73" pipe below the lake level.

Erosion control is a very important issue on this project. HCC needs to contain all of the runoff from the red silt, otherwise it will stain the local lakes.

Sean Windsor said that they have found a few large rocks but nothing too bad yet. Also the topsoil is so dry that you can't tell if it is clay or topsoil, which is keeping the water truck busy.

Ron Overlien, area project manager, reported that the MN/DOT engineers are really good to work with and they encourage the use of cost saving alternatives.

Check the Image Gallery for Pictures of the Bovey Bypass Project