Nearly three-fourths of the workers at Lucky Friday mine are working on projects besides drilling and mining, Hecla Mining Co. said Wednesday.

That's up from about half of the mine staff working last week, and the number should continue increasing, especially by the middle of next month.

The mine should be up and running at normal capacity by the end of February, officials estimate.

About 260 staff and hourly employees worked at the mine at the time of the last accident.

The Lucky Friday mine has been closed for about two weeks since a rock burst injured seven workers. That incident, combined with two fatal accidents earlier this year, caused the U.S. Mining Safety and Health Administration to temporarily close the mine.

Hecla said it will not repair damage from the rock burst. Instead, it will build a 750-foot bypass around the area.

It will be in a previously mined area, which should limit the chance of future rock bursts.

Hecla is coordinating with MSHA, which will ultimately make the decision to re-open the mine.

"We're working with them, and we have been all along," said Jeanne DuPont, Hecla spokeswoman.

Work on the bypass is expected to begin early next month and should be complete around the end of February.

DuPont said employees will have the chance to work on the project, and others will be given the option to work at other Hecla properties, such as the Star mine in Burke, or in Alaska or Colorado.