A new bridge for changing Forest Lake

The new highway overpass in Forest Lake might look as common as many other metro road projects that sprout in summer like so many dandelions. But wait, there's more.

On one count, it's the most ambitious bridge construction that Washington County has ever undertaken. The $7 million County Road 83 bridge, as it's currently known, is just one element of a makeover of Forest Lake's county roads.

"It's really a comprehensive solution we're working on," said Cory Slagle, the county engineer who manages the project.

On another count, the new two-lane bridge will open in November to an estimated 8,000 vehicles a day, relieving congestion on Forest Lake's only other bridge that spans Interstate 35. That's especially good news for ambulances and firetrucks that won't have to creep through bumper-to-bumper traffic on Broadway Avenue, also known as County Road 2.

"It's going to be great to increase our response time," said Mayor Stev Stegner.

Most Forest Lake businesses and neighborhoods lie east of I-35, but the northwest corner of the city on the west side depends on emergency services. So does the nearby city of Columbus, which contracts with Forest Lake for fire protection.

Construction of the County Road 83 overpass began in April. In August, cranes lifted four 100-foot concrete spans into place. Workers will begin pouring a concrete deck later this month.

But the most urgent demand for the new overpass will come next spring, when the Broadway Avenue overpass closes for reconstruction. For six months, traffic will detour on a "ring road" to the County Road 83 overpass.

The overall project, when finished, will make Forest Lake a safer and "revitalized" city that could attract new businesses as a result, Stegner said.

He's concerned, however, that current businesses will struggle during construction. One downtown business closed recently because of a traffic roundabout construction, he said, and another cut its staff in half.

"We're all hoping businesses will come back after reconstruction but I'm afraid we'll lose some businesses on Broadway," he said. Several big-box retailers and smaller businesses such as fast-food restaurants, gas stations and offices draw traffic to Broadway Avenue, as does access to I-35.

Still, Stegner said, Broadway is a street where "people are taking their lives in their hands" by driving there.

"When the traffic builds up on Broadway and you get gridlock on the stoplights it can take an incredible amount of time to get to the other side," said Hegberg, who lives in Forest Lake. Driving a mile along Broadway Avenue sometimes takes him half an hour, he said.

The street also has the highest crash rate of any road in the county as drivers try to find openings in fast-moving traffic, he said.

Slagle said building the County Road 83 overpass is a new experience for county engineers both in size and price. The county has only 13 conventional bridges, he said, and "we don't do bridges very often."

When I-35 was built in the 1960s the freeway tore through the middle of County Road 83, depriving residents of a longtime road between east and west, he said. The new overpass will restore a road that Forest Lake hasn't seen in a generation.

Mindy Hoeschen, a county employee who has worked with businesses and Forest Lake residents to explain the road projects, said "we've been hearing a lot of good things" as people learn the benefits to improved access to the northwest portion of the city.

The County Road 83 overpass has been under discussion for several years, said Hegberg, the county's longest-serving commissioner.

"I'm proud of finally getting that thing done," he said.

Kevin Giles • 651-735-3342