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The Chisago County Board signed off on an agreement with the state January 6,  finalizing  cost-sharing for a spring 2026 project to re-align Pleasant Valley Road at Highway 95 in Franconia Township.  

The county is involved in the intersection improvements at a total estimated price tag of $1.4 million and then takes over maintenance of the completed work.  MNDOT accepts bringing the project to bid, awarding the bid and providing construction management and its share of construction— at a cost to the state of about another $1.2 million. 

The state is also advancing a new one-lane round-about not far from Pleasant Valley,  at the Osceola connection at (260th Street in Minnesota) and 243 and Hwy 95.  This is at a state cost of about $3.7 million, according to MNDOT information publications.

The two work sites are being pursued around the same time this summer, and locals are cautioned to expect lane closures and detours periodically over the spring and summer.

Plans describe a left turn lane at Shamrock Lane to access Pleasant Valley from the highway more safely.   The sight distance will be improved for those making turns.  Rear end collision frequency will be reduced.  Drainage handling will be addressed with a treatment pond.

The replacement of the OsceolaSt Croix bridge is on-schedule and these projects impact this for timing.  The bridge is circa 1953 and federal and state agencies have been planning and holding public meetings for about three years to bring this bridge project to a spring 2027 construction start.  

The “prep” bridge work could be noticed as early as fall 2026, according to the departments of transportation for both Wisconsin and Minnesota.  Total completion of the bridge and site cleanup is scheduled in 2029. 

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