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Recently the Minnesota senate capital investment committee paid a visit to Wyoming and Lindstrom to see firsthand the local aid requests for a couple public safety projects.  (Story Press Jan. 25)

The City of North Branch is also on the list of state project aid requests.  When local legislators return to St. Paul when the session is called to order in about 10 days— there will be a funding ask on their to-do list for a $4 million appropriation for the design of a new 400th Street and I-35 interchange, see right.  

The Governor recently announced his choices specifically for state projects,  and included a lump sum of state bonding proceeds for the state lawmakers to do their own selecting of local projects.

North Branch has a segment of 400th already built off County Highway 30 east of the freeway;  which the Interstate Business Park and County Health and Human Services satellite offices  now use for local road access. 

The long range plans for North Branch call for a new “bypass” for east-west traffic and trucks to avoid the Highway 95 corridor,  in the old downtown area.  

The bypass would carry through-traffic north off #95 and connect up with 400th, coming in from east of Highway 30.

MNDOT and Chisago County support an interchange at 400th and I-35 to alleviate congestion, improve access to the freeway, open up a route for the business park, and to provide EMS vehicles improved I-35 on-off options.  Chief of Police Dan Meyer said in a brochure describing the project, that the interchange would serve as an additional access point to clear congestion in the community. Firefighters could avoid the heavy congestion now happening that slows response.  Officers wouldn’t have to spend time detangling snarled traffic, which takes them away from other important responsibilities. 

Lakes Region EMS Executive Director Aarron Reinert, also quoted in the information piece, says, “It is not an overstatement that another access to I-35 would save lives.”

The full interchange could run $23 to $24 million and North Branch is only seeking design help now,  at $4.5 million.  There was a concept plan for an interchange done in 2019, which assisted North Branch in preserving some right-of-way and in locating public utilities so as  to not conflict with an interchange work area.

One of the four quadrants in the interchange will require acquisition negotiation,  otherwise the city states in its proposal that the other three corners are under city control.

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