Highway 69 is open again between Monroe and New Glarus, ending the full detour that had been in place since July 13.

That is the good news. The other news is that the project is not finished, and drivers should expect more delays in September.

The next major phase is expected to begin Sept. 14, when contractors anticipate starting rural milling and paving at the south end of the project near Monroe and working northward on a daily basis.

That work will not require the full detour that sent traffic onto Highway 11, Highway 81, Highway 78 and Highway 39. Instead, it will be done under flagging operations, meaning drivers should expect daytime delays while traffic is moved through active work zones one direction at a time.