Crow Wing County Gets Go-Ahead for Crosslake Roundabout Project

Credit: Bolton & Menk, Inc.

A construction project is on the horizon in Crosslake.

The Crosslake City Council gave Crow Wing County municipal consent to build a roundabout at County Roads 66 and 3 and rebuild the storm water systems there this upcoming summer.

The Crow Wing County Highway Department plans to break the County State Aid Highway 66 and 3 roundabout project into two different phases.

“Why that’s important to this community is because it is very dependent on the seasonal traffic that comes in between the 90 days or so between Memorial Day and Labor Day,” explained county engineer Tim Bray. “And so we’ve heard that all along, and we’re doing what we can to minimize that for some of the businesses that we have in this community.”

Phase one will concern construction between the intersection and Swann Drive, while construction north of Swann Drive, where there’s no real detour route, will follow in phase two.

“Phase two will be a little bit more difficult, and that will start like the beginning of August,” said Pat Netko, owner of Lake Country Crafts & Cones and a member of the Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce. “And phase two, County Road 66 and right in front of my business will be all tore up, but there will be traffic allowed to get through with flaggers, and it’s a short distance, but there’s not any good way around that section.”

Due to the incomplete pedestrian networks north of the roundabout, it is clear that improvements are needed.

“We have trails that kind of abruptly stop and dump people onto the shoulders of road,” added Bray. “And then we have the whole east side that doesn’t have a lot pedestrian network at all. And what the reason why it’s so important is the trail that’s on the west side, you couldn’t predict where they were coming across. [It’s] unpredictable unauthorized crossings of a very busy road, particularly in the summer.”

Although Crow Wing County is still awaiting final approval, the construction on the roundabout is expected to begin June 1. Multiple detour routes will be needed as construction will go from the intersection all the way past Lake Country Crafts & Cones shop to Bald Eagle Trail.

For Netko, she believes it will all be worth it in the end.

“Once it’s done, we’re going to have beautiful sidewalks,” she said. “We’ll hopefully have beautiful landscaping and the traffic will flow smoothly and they will be safe crossing intersections for pedestrians. And we’re looking forward to that.”

The Crosslake City Council also decided not to use colored concrete in the medians or the roundabout, a decision that will save $35,000.

More information on the construction project can be found here.