By Alexander Fern / Assist. News Director

 The Highway 23 Paynesville to Richmond detour will be removed and the road reopened by the end of the day on Thursday.

The Minnesota Department of Transportations says that the first year of the two year North Gap Expansion Project will resume once road restrictions are lifted. As part of the project, County Road 12 will also be detoured for two weeks in 2023. Work next year will focus on completing the majority of eastbound alignment.

The North Gap project expands nine miles of Highway 23 to four lanes, from Paynesville to Richmond. Several intersections along Highway 23 will be refigured to improve sightlines, reduce potential crash points, and enhance safety.

Benefits of the project include improved traffic flow and freight movement, as well as overall corridor performance, capacity, and safety. The whole project will cost $41.75 million.