Hwy 12 to reopen between Long Lake, Orono on Friday

A portion of Highway 12 between Long Lake, Minnesota and Orono will reopen on Friday with a new concrete median designed to increase safety on one of the state’s deadliest stretches of road.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation says the eastbound lane of the highway will reopen by 5 a.m. and the westbound lane by 3 p.m., weather permitting.

Highway 12 between County Road 112 and County Road 6 has been closed since Oct. 17 while crews installed a concrete media barrier to prevent crossover crashes, one of several safety improvements recommended by the U.S. 12 Road Safety Audit. 

MORE: 2 Orono High School graduates die months apart on deadly stretch of Hwy 12