Mayfly hatch prompts southeast Minnesota transportation officials to shut off bridge lights

The Minnesota Department of Transportation says an exploding population of Mayflys could cause serious trouble for drivers in southeast Minnesota.

The insects are hatching along the Mississippi during the summer. Crews with the agency will begin turning lights off on bridges across the river in Red Wing, Wabasha and Winona to reduce the effects the insects have on road services.

The Red Wing Chamber of Commerce is urging businesses in the area to turn off their lights at night, too, and says you never know exactly when the hatch will happen this time of year. 

"It's such a huge sign that the Mississippi River is very healthy. It kind of depends [on] Mother Nature, the temperature, the supply of rain. We've had a lot of rain this last couple of weeks here, so that's a huge part of it," Laura Aadalen with the Red Wing Chamber of Commerce said.

The hatching doesn't last a long time, but during it, the bugs can cause slippery road conditions.

Once the hatch is over, the agency says they'll turn the lights back on. 

This story will be updated.