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The saying is that Minnesota has two seasons— road construction and winter.  Now that we are coming to the end of the first, taxpayers can relax knowing the 2027 Transportation Improvement Plan for the county is well-planned.  

The County Board adopted the TIP unanimously in a recent meeting.   County Engineer Joe Triplett says the work helps elected officials anticipate future obligations  and coordinate them with the county capital improvement and financial plans.

“Transportation frequently relies on multiple funding sources—county, state aid, grants, federal funds, bonding—and a TIP is an important step forward toward securing funding, " Triplett explained in a September TIP  memo to the Board.

Here’s what’s on the drawing board as described in the plan:

The round-about at Hemingway and Lincoln Trail, just south of Hwy 95 in North Branch, will run $3 million and there is $1 million in federal transportation aid set aside to help accomplish this project. The local option sales tax account is being dipped into for a half-million and North Branch is penciled in for $1.5 million.

There is also a $6.9 million project on CSAH 8 to Interstate 35 and CSAH 10 to 430th Street.  This presents the longest mileage of any 2027 project at 4.4 miles.

Reconstruction will require $1.6 million of 'regular’ state aid funding and $3.4 out of local option sales tax proceeds.  Wheelage tax contributes another $400,000 and the Local Road Improvements Program (LRIP) will bring in another million.

Two resurfacing roadway projects are along CSAH 30 to County Road 55 and from the county line to CSAH 30.  These are 1.75 and three miles respectively.  The county line vicinity project gets $500,000 out of wheelage tax monies and the other gets $300,000 out of that surcharge collected when Chisago County vehicle owners register their vehicles.

None of the above projects should need any direct funds out of the local property tax levy, the County Board was advised. 

Meanwhile, other roads being worked on right now are on-track.  Such as:

~ Road from Lindstrom through Carlos Avery (CSAH 19) to Stacy should be re-opening mid-October.

There is an open house for the public who wants to learn more about CSAH 7 in the Rush City area.  This is not on the plan though until 2029.

The intersection at Pleasant Valley and Hwy 95 in Franconia Township is done.  There may still be some punchlist last moment items getting tended to.

The right of way acquisition is underway for parcels impacted by Highway 8.  Due to changes directed by state and federal agencies the acquisition team has spent more money that earlier planned,  

A change order was okayed for a little over $900,000 for WSB consultants.

Hwy 8 capacity and safety work involves 17 displacements (counted by property), which entails cost for rent, a relocation plan, advice, real estate closings and research.

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