Road construction and related detours along Highway 75 in Luverne expanded this week to include a portion of Main Street just west of the Highway 75 and Main Street intersection.
According to Luverne City Administrator John Call, one block of West Main Street was scheduled to be closed for two to four days while crews work on the water line under the intersection.
This work is a continuation of the water line work that began near Hatting Street and has moved north throughout the project.
"It's kind of chaos down there now with the east/west being closed in addition to the north/south detour," Call said on Monday. "We just ask that motorists be patient and reduce their speeds while in the construction areas."
Call said that Main Street is expected to reopen by the end of this week.
Meanwhile, on south Highway 75, concrete work for new sidewalks and driveways on the east side of the road began on Monday near Hatting Street and will move north.
While the official detour between Warren and Hatting streets continues, all of Highway 75 has temporarily been reopened to local traffic. About 400 feet of the road surface is unpaved and unmarked with motorists driving on a granular material at this time.
On Monday Call said work will begin soon on the curb and gutter on that section of the road, which includes the bridge over Poplar Creek and about 150 additional feet in each direction.
Once the curb work is completed, that section of Highway 75 will close to all traffic again while construction crews reconstruct the road and place concrete on the bridge deck.
Call said once the bridge deck is completed, the detour will be permanently lifted and all traffic will travel on Highway 75 with lane restrictions continuing.
The detour is expected to be finished in early July, depending on the weather.