By Lori EhdeThe public open house at the new Sioux Valley Luverne Medical Center is set for Sunday, but most roads leading to the facility are still closed.Luverne Public Works Supervisor Kenny Vos confirmed Tuesday that Christensen Drive is the only way to access the new hospital and clinic for the time being.Christensen Drive is an east-west residential street on the northernmost edge of town that accesses the medical center’s parking lot on the east side. Motorists can get there by taking North Blue Mound Avenue to Christensen Drive.Directing so much traffic down a residential street isn’t ideal, but Rock County Highway Engineer Mark Sehr said it’s the only way to get there until construction of Highway 75 and 131st Street is completed.The new medical center prompted work on the two roads for two reasons.A north entrance was necessary on the back side of the hospital, so the former township gravel road, 131st Street, will serve that purpose. It is being transformed into a wide, paved, 10-ton road complete with curb, gutter and sidewalks.Highway 75 is under construction because a turn lane needed to be added for the hospital entrance on the south and west and for the 131st Street intersection. Also, the hill at that intersection needed to be graded down for safer stopping sight distance.The project started on May 11 and was due for completion during the second week of July – about now – weather permitting.So, far, Sehr said, weather has not permitted that schedule.He said since May 11, there have been 18 working days lost to wet conditions – about 3 calendar weeks."If there was no rain, the 40 working days would have ended the week of July 8," he said. "In the last five days we’ve had over three inches of rain on the project site."The primary contractor, Buffalo Bituminous, won’t be penalized for the rain days crews weren’t able to work on the site, but Sehr said the company will be charged for four days last week when it was out of town during dry working conditions.Traffic may be snarled for Sunday’s public open house at the new hospital and clinic, but Sehr said the facility will be accessible from Highway 75 in time for the first official day of business on July 29."Access will be available off 75 on opening day," he said, "whether the road work is done or not."He added that the Veterans Drive access on the west-southwest side will also be done by that time.Access from the north via 131st Street won’t be open until the first or second week in August, which is now the projected completion date in general for both that road and Highway 75. (131st Street has a calendar completion date of Sept. 16.)This will also postpone construction work scheduled for Main Street and Blue Mound Avenue, which was supposed to start Aug. 1.That project involves a mill and overlay of Main Street, from Highway 75 east to Blue Mound Avenue, and of Blue Mound Avenue from Main Street north to County Road 8.That work is expected to take about two weeks. "We’re going to try to squeeze in the work before Band Festival," Sehr said, referring to the Tri-State Band Festival, which is the last Saturday in September.Traffic will be allowed to use Main Street and Blue Mound Avenue while work is underway. Traffic flaggers will be on hand, and parking may be limited at times.