REGIONAL- Spring heralds the onset of road construction season, that time when drivers have to satisfy themselves that a little short-term pain will bring some welcome long-term gain.
St. Lous County Public Works has plenty of projects lined up for the Cook and Lake Vermilion area that will bring with them some traffic slowdowns, but few detours.
One of the challenges to understanding exactly what roads are affected is the designation of roads as County State Aid Highways, or CSAHs. A road a driver thinks of as one continuous road may actually be comprised of two or more CSAHs, each with their own official project designation. When looking at the county’s project list online at https://engage.stlouiscountymn.gov/project-list, one may need to look at more than one designated project to come up with all the work being done on their usual travel routes.
CSAH 115/77
Such is the case for the highway that begins at the Peyla Junction at the Y-Store. Initially going northwest from Hwy 169 across the Pike River bridge toward Cook, CSAH 77, also referred to as Angus Rd., eventually becomes CSAH 115, which runs past the north side of Cook as Ashawa Rd. before intersecting with Hwy 53. It might seem like one project, but for funding and management purposes it’s actually three projects, involving two different contractors, KGM and Hawkinson Constructions. Drivers can expect delays at various points along the route for five months beginning May 20 on the east end as the contractors will reclaim and resurface the 21 mile stretch with plant-mixed asphalt. The western half, running from Frazer Bay Rd. to Hwy. 53, will get underway July 22, with work continuing into early October. No detours are planned, but slowdowns can be expected.
Vermilion Dr. (CSAH 25)
Vermilion Dr. is the east-west corridor running along the north end of the downtown business district of Cook, stretching from Second St. SE (CSAH 24) on the east to Hwy. 53 on the west, encompassing both business and residential areas. The road will get a complete reconstruction from Hwy. 53 to 300 feet west of Second St. SE, to include reconstruction of the paved roadbed, curb and gutter, storm sewer components, sidewalk, lighting, and intersection improvements. The schedule originally called for work to begin on May 20, with an anticipated completion date of Sept. 21, but according to a revised schedule work has been shifted to start on Vermilion Dr. after the annual Timber Days celebration, likely commencing the first week of July. Construction will be phased to accommodate access for residents and businesses.
Reconstruction of N River St., from Vermilion Dr. to Ashawa Rd. is also in the works for this year. This project won’t be found on the county’s project list, as it is not a state aid road and is being financed by the city of Cook from other sources. The city worked together with the county to have the two projects bid together for potential cost savings, however the bid came in about 26 percent higher than the engineer’s estimates. According to city council minutes, the council decided in March to move ahead with the project in either case. The N River St. project will commence first, with alternative estimated start dates of May 13 or May 20.
Olson Rd. (CSAH 540/910)
Olson Rd. is a 5.3-mile-long road north of Cook connecting CSAH 24 on the east to Hwy. 53 at the North Woods School intersection to the west. Drivers have seen the road deteriorate significantly in recent years, with large patches of crumbling pavement managed back to compacted gravel. The scope of work includes stabilization of the road base, bituminous reclamation and bituminous paving. The project is scheduled to begin May 20 and finish on Sept. 21. No road closures or detours are planned.
Beatty Rd. (CSAH78)
CSAH 78 extends east from CSAH 24 north of Cook as Beatty Rd., then continues south on Vermilion Lake Rd. to the intersection with CSAH 115. The entire four miles will be paved. The work will involve bituminous reclamation, culvert replacements, grading and bituminous paving. Two road closures will be necessary for the project, one of up to 14 days for culvert replacement from CSAH 24 east to CR 540, and the second for up to 28 days from CR 540 south to CSAH 115 for road realignment and culvert replacement. The closures will not happen simultaneously. The contractor will select the dates for the closures.
CSAH 22
A four mile stretch of CSAH 22 beginning at the intersection of Hwy. 1 and Hwy. 53 and running west to the intersection with Samuelson Rd is also scheduled for resurfacing this year. Work on pavement reclamation and bituminous surfacing is scheduled to begin on July 22 and be completed by Oct. 12. No detours or road closures will be necessary.
CSAH 25 Culverts
This culvert replacement project will begin at the intersection of E Lind Rd. and Samuelson Rd., proceeding north on Samuelson Rd. and winding its way to the intersection with Hwy. 53. Work will involve replacement of 11 culverts and is scheduled to begin on Aug. 26, with an anticipated completion date of Oct. 12. No road closures or detours are expected.
CSAH 25 bridge
The bridge on Samuelson Rd. (CSAH 25) over the Rice River, three miles southwest of Cook, is set for complete replacement, including approach grading and paving. A detour route will be utilized and signed for the duration of construction. The project is scheduled to begin on July 8, and is scheduled to be completed by Oct. 12. A detour utilizing CR 923, CR 912, and CSAH 25 will be signed about one week prior to the closure indicating the actual date the road will be closed.
CR 958 Bridge
A bridge on Three Rivers Rd. (CR 958) that spans the Rice River approximately 3.8 miles southwest of Cook will be completely replaced, with work scheduled to begin on July 29. A detour using sections of Alango, Leander, and Ralph Rds. will be posted. Work is scheduled to be completed by Nov. 11.