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As soon as the weather allows heavy equipment to  be mobilized,  you will notice activity in Taylors Falls at Bench Street and First, and also see crews realigning Tern Avenue, on the west edge of Taylors Falls, preparing for installing a round-about on Highway 8 at Hwy 95.

Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has contracted with Hoffman Construction to first create a bypass route to direct traffic up along First Street, heading west-- and up through downtown heading towards North Branch on Hwy. 95.  

The intersection in Taylors Falls at the entry to paddlewheel riverway tours and Chisago House,  is being reconfigured to serve as a bypass for the round-about project and repairs/improvements along Highway 8.

Existing traffic control hardscaping will be removed, creating a new lane for Hwy. 8 traffic coming into and out of Wisconsin. Vehicles will travel through what is now a two-way stop-sign intersection.  Trailer-mounted lighted semaphores will be placed on all four corners.  A new two-lane path of Hwy. 8 (where a planted median and welcome sign are now located) will be opened on the south edge of the self-serve gas pumps business.  

The plan requires No Parking to be posted on Mainstreet Taylors Falls for the first block or so heading north on Bench Street (Hwy. 95) into downtown.
At the same time, Tern Avenue, connecting Hwy. 8 and 310th or County Road 37, will be rebuilt, and angled westerly, to align in a four-way intersection with Hwy. 95,  by the sculpture garden.  

Tern Avenue will become the main route and be the north exit off the new round-about. (See graphic.)

Tern gets done first so vehicles use this bypass to avoid reconstruction of the highway roadbed,  along the river scheduled later this summer.  

John Klein, of Hoffman Construction, and MnDOT official Ryan Coddington, attended an open house at the Chisago Lakes Area Library March 10, and spoke with dozens of visitors about the plan.  Most wanted to know they will be able to access homes near the state park and round-about work site.

Klein explained the phases laid out for tackling this and assured property owners they will have access throughout the project-- possibly through using an official pass from the contractor, identifying them to be allowed through parts of the work zone.

Phase One is Taylors Falls intersection work and Tern Avenue.  Tentatively Phase One completion will allow vehicles through the bypass by May.  

The segment of Hwy 8 along the river bluff and through Interstate State Park property, will be done in two sections, the first June to October.  Park entries are getting priority, with the section of Hwy. 8 closest to Taylors Falls scheduled to be done by August.  The stretch being rebuilt closer to Lawrence Creek and Franconia old town are to be restricted to vehicular travel from August to October.  

Everything is tentatively scheduled for this coming summer-fall construction season only, but it’s all weather dependent.

Klein added that the contract allows crews to work six days a week.

Coddington told those at the open house that the round-about is a single lane design, and work is all being done within state right-of-way.  

Truckers will be re-routed to cross the St. Croix River at Osceola.










 

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