Minnesota State Highway 243
Encyclopedia
Trunk Highway 243 and State Trunk Highway 243 (MN 243, WIS 243) are two short state highway
s in the U.S. states of Minnesota
and Wisconsin
. They connect MN 95
in Franconia Township, Minnesota with WIS 35 in Osceola, Wisconsin
. The two highways meet at the state line on a bridge across St. Croix River
. The combined highway is 1.53 miles (2.46 km) in length, 1.23 miles (1.98 km) in Minnesota and 0.3 mile (0.482802 km) in Wisconsin. The two highways were designated in 1949. The bridge across the St. Croix River dates to 1953.
. The highway starts at MN 95 on Osceola Road and runs southeasterly for a short distance before it turns northeasterly and parallel to the St. Croix River. Then it turns back to the southeast near some ponds along the riverbank to the bridge across the river. The highway crosses the state line into Wisconsin continuing to the southeast. Before the highway ends, it turns to the east to intersect WIS 35 in Osceola.
(WisDOT). The bridge went through a month-long structural rehabilitation between late April and late May 2010. This project was being undertaken by Minnesota Department of Transportation
(Mn/DOT) because the bridge is of similar design to the Interstate 35W Bridge over the Mississippi River
that collapsed on August 1, 2007. At the same time as the closure, Mn/DOT repaved their stretch of Highway 243. WisDOT also repaved their segment of the roadway, and they removed some rock from a bluff near the highway overlooking the river. The project was completed on May 28, 2010, when the bridge reopened to cars and passenger trucks.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
s in the U.S. states of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. They connect MN 95
Minnesota State Highway 95
Minnesota State Highway 95 is a highway in east-central Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highway 23 near St. Cloud and continues east and south to its southern terminus at its intersection with U.S...
in Franconia Township, Minnesota with WIS 35 in Osceola, Wisconsin
Osceola, Wisconsin
Osceola is a village in Polk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,421 at the 2000 census. The village is located mostly within the Town of Osceola.The downtown features Cascade Falls, a waterfall with a crest, located on Osceola Creek....
. The two highways meet at the state line on a bridge across St. Croix River
St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota)
The St. Croix River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The lower of the river form the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The river is a National Scenic Riverway under the protection of the National Park Service. A...
. The combined highway is 1.53 miles (2.46 km) in length, 1.23 miles (1.98 km) in Minnesota and 0.3 mile (0.482802 km) in Wisconsin. The two highways were designated in 1949. The bridge across the St. Croix River dates to 1953.
Route description
Highway 243 serves as a short route between Franconia Township and the village of OsceolaOsceola, Wisconsin
Osceola is a village in Polk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,421 at the 2000 census. The village is located mostly within the Town of Osceola.The downtown features Cascade Falls, a waterfall with a crest, located on Osceola Creek....
. The highway starts at MN 95 on Osceola Road and runs southeasterly for a short distance before it turns northeasterly and parallel to the St. Croix River. Then it turns back to the southeast near some ponds along the riverbank to the bridge across the river. The highway crosses the state line into Wisconsin continuing to the southeast. Before the highway ends, it turns to the east to intersect WIS 35 in Osceola.
History
Trunk Highway 243 was authorized in 1949 in Minnesota, at the same time State Trunk Highway 243 was designated in Wisconsin. Dr. L.O. Simenstad was responsible for both highways being designated as part of their state highway systems. In 1952, the state of Minnesota reconstructed part of the roadway after a section of it washed out. This project lengthened the length of the highway by 0.4 mile (0.643736 km) at the time. The current bridge was built in 1953 and rebuilt in 1980 by the Wisconsin Department of TransportationWisconsin Department of Transportation
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation, abbreviated as WisDOT, is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for planning, building and maintaining the state's highways...
(WisDOT). The bridge went through a month-long structural rehabilitation between late April and late May 2010. This project was being undertaken by Minnesota Department of Transportation
Minnesota Department of Transportation
The Minnesota Department of Transportation oversees transportation by land, water, and air in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The cabinet-level agency is responsible for maintaining the state's trunk highway system The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT, pronounced "min-dot") oversees...
(Mn/DOT) because the bridge is of similar design to the Interstate 35W Bridge over the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
that collapsed on August 1, 2007. At the same time as the closure, Mn/DOT repaved their stretch of Highway 243. WisDOT also repaved their segment of the roadway, and they removed some rock from a bluff near the highway overlooking the river. The project was completed on May 28, 2010, when the bridge reopened to cars and passenger trucks.