Brainerd – Business community members gathered on Thursday, March 6, to hear about the planned construction of Washington/Highway 210 in Brainerd.
The Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce had a home filled during the morning update meeting for businesses like Luke Wehseler, Mineral Transport Project Manager, presented the proposed plan for project 2026-27. There was also an afternoon session for those who could not do the morning session.
Prior to the start of the presentation, the President of the Matt Chilian House welcomed everyone and urged businesses to consider joining a new business management committee for the construction project to help mitigate interruptions and help disseminate information. Although in a preliminary stage, the Committee would help communicate during construction.
Sending Tim Speier / Brainerd
Wehseler said the plan will start as soon as possible for the weather to allow in 2026.
The project is valued to cost about $ 45 million-is scheduled for 2026-27 and will see the rebuilding of the 210/Washington Street highway between Baxter Drive in Baxter and Pine Shores Road in Brainerd. The city part is estimated at about $ 7 million.
The western and eastern ends of the project area – from the Baxter Drive to the Northwest Four Street and Avenue Avenue northeast on the Pine Shores road – is the mill and overlap, essentially removing and replacing the upper pavement layer.
The central part of the road between the fourth Northwest Road and the 10th Avenue in the northeast will be subject to reconstruction, with new sidewalks, sidewalks and city services.
Most importantly in this section, the signal light at the intersection with the fourth Avenue Avenue in the northeast will be removed, and two roundabouts will be built at the 25th highway intersections and eight northeast, also known as Mill Avenue. The roundabout on the 25th highway would have four legs, while he would have three legs on Avenue, without access to the south after replacing T.
Throughout the construction, access to businesses and downtown will not close, Wehseler said. There may be a crossing or a gravel for those living in affected debts, but there will be local access to those areas.
The project is planned to be completed in five different stages to mitigate the impact on business and traffic on Brainerd. In 2026, the plan is to work in the eastern mills and overlap, from Avenue Avenue 10th to the northeast on Pine Shores Street, roundabouts on Mill Avenue and Highway 25, and work in the area from Avenue Fifth to the northeast on the 13th Southeast road.
Then, in 2027, the plan is to work in the western mill and overlap, from the Baxter Drive on the fourth road to the northwest, the Washington Street Bridge segment and the center of the city of Washington Street from East River Road, where they left near the 13th route.
Wehseler said there will be a regional way out through traffic seeking to bypass construction and the city. There will be a bypass on highway 371 and Business 371 going up to highways 25 and 210, on the northeast side of Brainerd. During part of the construction, a bypass will be available from highway 371 and the smart road on Mill Avenue and Highway 210.
With part of the construction of construction passing through the OAK road, Brainerd Public School Supervisor Peter Grant asked about road parking during construction, as the construction of Education services in Washington and Harrison Elementary Schools are in OAK Street.
Sending Tim Speier / Brainerd
Brainerd City engineer Jessie Dehn told the crowd that he does not foresee any restrictions on parking on OAK Street as many businesses and homeowners rely on it for parking.
As the meeting ended, Chilean reminded everyone that although construction will cause a massive interruption in the way things work downtown, it is only temporary and updates and adjustments should bring mass improvement in the city area.
“As we get into the construction season and everything becomes more true for the community, I think it will bring us as a business community to talk about it in an optimistic way, that this will be a massive improvement, because if we send a message to your community and clients that this is a corridor to avoid at all costs, this will not be good for us as a business community.”
The main purpose for the road between the Baxter Drive and the Mississippi River Bridge is to expand the sidewalks for pedestrians. Medias on the fifth and northwestern northwestern roads would also create only right/right junctions to reduce backups and blockages caused by left -back vehicles from the 210 highway to the side roads.
There will also be an attack on the Baxter Drive and the seventh road to the northwest, and the signal on the fourth road to the northwest will be replaced.
On the Mississippi River bridge, the sidewalks will expand, and there will be an obstacle between the sidewalk and the lanes of the car.
Continuing to the east, an average will be added to the intersection with the Chippewa road, which means that Eastern traffic will not be able to make a left turn there, but will have to return to the first road.
The North Second Street intersection will remain fully accessible to the traffic of the Emergency Hospital, but there will be an average through third, seventh and ninth roads, and new signals on the fourth and eighth roads. Left -ended east turn lanes on the streets of the fifth North and Kingwood will remain to provide access to North Brainerd.
The signal at Gillis Avenue and the 13 -southeastern 13th road will be replaced, and an average will be added to the intersection of Avenue Avenue Avenue in the northeast. Second and third road intersections in the northeast will be full access.
Multiuse traces north of the road between the fifth and 14th roads in the northeast will be replaced, and the entrance to the path will be added from the F road to G and 10 Avenue Northeast Avenue to the northeast.
In the eastern segment of the road, an average will be added to the Wonderland Park Road/Rice Lake Lane to create only right/right entrance.
A public meeting in the planned Washington Street/Highway 210 project is planned for the 2nd afternoon or 4-6 afternoon on Tuesday, March 25, in the Wing Crow District Services Building, 322 Laurel St. More information on the Brainerd’s Highway 210 project can be found at dot.state.mn.us/d3/projekt/brainerd/.
Tim Speier, staff writer, can be reached on Twitter
Call 218-855-5859 or email
Tim.speier@brainerdispatch.com
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