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The bridge deck for the new County Road 17 interchange was poured last week and the project continues on-schedule. The new interchange is supposed to open by November.

Roadwork connecting rebuilt sections of Chisago County #17 and the Isanti County road to the west side of the freeway continues, with bituminous application planned this week.

The interchange includes a park and ride lot and will offer access onto and off I-35 about midway between Stacy and North Branch. There was only an overpass at this site before.

Eighth District Congressman Jim Oberstar viewed the project, which is budgeted for some $5 million in federal transportation monies in future years. Chisago County is fronting some costs in order to get this new approximately $6.7 million interchange built. The portions that qualify will be reimbursed by the federal funding.

The project went forward because expectations are the Hwy. 95 bridge in North Branch will be replaced in the next couple of years and officials did not want #95 shutdown, with no close-by parallel route available.

Long term transit plans at this interchange include a route continuing east from #17 and County Road 30-- all the way to #14 --where there’d be a new intersection somewhere south of North Branch (approximately near the power plant.)

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