Minnesota Department of Transportation

511 Travel Info

Highway 243 Osceola Bridge

Franconia Township MN and Osceola WI

Background

Comment period summary

The project team implemented a public comment period on the Hwy 243 Osceola Bridge Purpose and Need documentation. The 15-day public comment period ran from May 19, 2021 through June 4, 2021. Interested parties could submit comments through the project website, via email, or in writing to MnDOT.

The project website was updated with the following materials:

  • Purpose & Need document
  • Logical Termini document
  • Alternatives Evaluation Criteria document

The public was allowed to provide questions and feedback through a comment portal on the project website.

Media outreach

Media outreach was conducted as part of the Purpose and Need public comment period. This outreach included:

  • MnDOT web announcement
  • WisDOT web announcement
  • Chisago County web announcement
  • Polk County web announcement
  • Franconia Township web announcement
  • Village of Osceola web announcement
  • MnDOT Public Notice News Release
  • WisDOT Public Notice News Release
  • MnDOT Gov Delivery Email
  • Village of Osceola Chamber of Commerce Email
  • Advertisements placed in two local newspapers, the Osceola Sun and the Chisago County Press.
  • An interview of PM Dmitry Tomasevich in the Osceola Sun.

Public comments received

A total of 92 comments were received between May 19, 2021 through June 7, 2021. An additional three comments were received between June 12, 2021 and August 31, 2021. More than 62 percent of comments received to date highlight the need for a bike and pedestrian path.