For most of September, Highway 65 had a clear stopping point in Braham. MnDOT closed the road to through traffic on Aug. 31 from Isanti County Road 30 in Cambridge to Highway 107, and the detour started at that Braham junction. That changed on Thursday, Oct. 1. The full closure now runs from Isanti County Road 30 in Cambridge all the way to Kanabec County Road 45, also called 120th Avenue, north of town.
Braham used to be where the closure ended. Now the town is inside it, with closed highway to the south and to the north. MnDOT expects it to stay that way until "late fall 2026." That's why the detour you learned in September no longer gets you to Cambridge, and why the new route starts much farther north.
Why the work zone grew past town
MnDOT's Sept. 25 bulletin explains the move. The main 10-mile stretch between Cambridge and Braham is still expected to stay closed until late fall. Extending the closure lets crews start replacing centerline culverts from Highway 107 up to Brunswick at the same time. In practice, crews are now working on both sides of Braham at once, and the 2027 season will have less ground left to cover.
The project was always too big for one season. MnDOT originally planned an early-spring start, but work began in July. The agency's August release says the job needs a full six-month schedule, so the 10-mile segment can't be finished this year. The Isanti-Chisago County Star reported that commuters between Cambridge and Braham had to switch from the western detour to the eastern one, and it quoted MnDOT calling the detour a "major headache."
The routes as they stand now
The August detour went west from Braham on Highway 107, then followed County Road 4 at 413th Avenue south through Stanchfield. The October detour replaces that route. It starts on the west side of Highway 65 at Kanabec County Road 16, well north of Braham, and crosses to the east side near Stanchfield. Here's how MnDOT lays out the through-traffic route on the current project page:
- Kanabec County Road 16
- Isanti County Road 4
- Isanti County Road 14
- Isanti County Road 3 through Stanchfield
- Isanti County Road 36
- Isanti County Road 34
- Isanti County Road 30 into Cambridge
The project page also lists two shorter routes for people trying to reach places inside the closed stretch. To reach Braham from the north side, MnDOT lists County Road 3, County Road 36 and County Road 4 to Highway 107. To reach Grandy from the southwest, it lists County Road 3 and County Road 14 to County Road 6. The August release had sent Grandy traffic in on County Roads 46 and 24. The current page has replaced that guidance.
Trucks have their own route. Semis and trailers coming from south of Mora are sent on Highway 23 to Highway 47 at Ogilvie, then Highway 95 at Pine Brook, then Highway 169 to Cambridge. MnDOT says the local detour roads aren't built for heavy or wide traffic. If you're towing a boat or a loaded trailer to Cambridge this month, the long loop through Ogilvie is the route MnDOT points you to.
Local access keeps downtown reachable
MnDOT says the Highway 65 work zone stays open to businesses, visitors and residents. Drivers inside it should expect delays, reduced speeds, narrow lanes, flaggers, hard closures between side roads, changes to access, and gravel or grooved surfaces. The Kanabec County Times reported that general local access continues for residents, businesses and emergency services after the Oct. 1 extension.
That makes the closure mostly a problem for trips out of town. Errands inside Braham are a different matter. Here are the regular stops downtown and nearby, with current addresses from the Braham Area Chamber directory and the Oct. 1, 2026 Readers' Choice section of the County Star:
- The Park Cafe, 124 Main St S, serves breakfast and lunch with daily specials, homemade pie and coffee, dine-in or takeout.
- The Park Tavern is at the same address and serves as the bar and dinner side of the operation.
- Mike's Discount Foods, 146 Main St S, is the grocery stop.
- Braham Hardware & Rental, 104 Central Drive W, handles hardware, rentals, bait and small-engine service.
- Braham Custom Meat & Retail, 124 Central Drive W, is listed as a 2026 Readers' Choice winner.
- Braham Country Floral & Coffee, 128 Central Drive W, owned by Matthew and Crystal Torp, joined the Chamber recently and was a 2026 Readers' Choice finalist.
- North Country Market, 103 Central Drive W, is an old-fashioned general store with candy and gifts.
- Tusen Tack, 208 Central Drive W, is the nonprofit thrift shop.
- Home Town Liquor Store is at 250 Main St N.
South of town, the Brass Rail at 36868 Highway 65 NE in Grandy, known for its broasted chicken, was posting as recently as Oct. 1. Its address puts it right inside the closed stretch. The County Road 3, 14 and 6 approach is MnDOT's listed way into Grandy from the southwest.
The October calendar inside the zone
Several dated events this month are in town, so local access matters more for them than the detour does. The Braham Event Center at 655 8th Street SW hosts the Braham Fire Department Relief Association's Chili Feed, Sportsman's Raffle and Silent Auction on Friday, Oct. 9, from 3 to 7 p.m. It includes a chili meal, a bake sale and a bounce house. The same building runs line-dancing lessons with Jeannie on Thursdays: Oct. 8 and 22, and Nov. 5 and 19. Admission is $5 for ages 16 and up, and younger dancers get in free.
On Saturday, Oct. 24, the "Memories in Motion Trunk or Treat" runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Braham Evangelical Covenant Church, 508 Broadway Ave. N. If family is driving up from Cambridge for it, send them the October route above, not the September one.
What the closure is building
When the barricades come down, the road will be noticeably different. MnDOT is resurfacing about 10 miles with cold-in-place recycling. The project also adds a northbound left-turn lane at 357th Avenue NE north of Cambridge, replaces pipes and box culverts under the highway, and updates or repairs guardrail. New intersection lighting is going in at Isanti County Roads 6 and 4, and at Kanabec County Road 4 and County Road 16, also known as King Road. In Grandy, the work includes resurfacing, new underground storm sewer, upgraded sidewalks and a longer center left-turn lane.
MnDOT's project page lays out how cold-in-place recycling works. Crews grind the old surface, mix it with cement and a liquid strengthener, lay it back down, and compact it with heavy rollers. A new layer of asphalt goes on at a later date.
The calendar from here
MnDOT's tentative schedule, which the agency says can shift with weather, supplies or the contractor:
| Time frame | Stretch of Highway 65 | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 1 to late fall 2026 | Kanabec Co. Rd. 45 to Isanti Co. Rd. 30 | Full closure, October detour in place |
| Winter 2026–2027 | Entire project | All lanes open |
| Spring to July 2027 | South of Brunswick to Braham | Both directions closed again, detour still to be announced |
MnDOT doesn't give an exact reopening day, only "late fall." The project page points drivers to 511mn.org for current conditions. MnDOT also describes the 2027 work differently in different places. The project page says "South of Brunswick to Braham." The August release says crews will work from Braham to north of Braham between May and July 2027, with detours to be announced ahead of that season. Either way, next year's work centers on the stretch north of town. The truck route through Ogilvie is listed for both seasons. To get updates as they're released, use MnDOT's District 3 news page.
If you're planning a sale around the Highway 65 schedule, whether you list while the road is closed, during the open winter months, or after next July, timing affects how buyers reach your door. Team Lundeen works in Braham and the surrounding area year-round and can walk you through it. Let's Find Your Way Home. Request a Free Home Valuation.
