State Highway 243 (Minnesota–Wisconsin)

Trunk Highway 243 and State Trunk Highway 243 (MN 243, WIS 243) are two short state highways 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 0.30 miles (0.48 km) in Wisconsin. The two highways were designated in 1949. The bridge across the St. Croix River dates to 1953.

State Trunk Highway 243 marker State Trunk Highway 243 marker

State Trunk Highway 243

STH 243 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MnDOT and WisDOT
Length1.53 mi[lower-alpha 1] (2.46 km)
Existed1949[3][4][5]–present
Major junctions
West end MN 95 in Franconia Township, MN
East end WIS 35 in Osceola, WI
Location
CountryUnited States
StatesWisconsin, Minnesota
CountiesMN Chisago
WI Polk
Highway system
  • Minnesota Trunk Highway System
← MN 241MN→ MN 244
← WIS 241WI→ WIS 253

Route description

Highway 243 serves as a short route between Franconia Township and the village of Osceola. 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.[6]

History

Trunk Highway 243 was authorized in 1949 in Minnesota,[3] at the same time State Trunk Highway 243 was designated in Wisconsin.[4][5] Dr. L.O. Simenstad was responsible for both highways being designated as part of their state highway systems.[7] In 1952, the state of Minnesota reconstructed part of the roadway after a section of it washed out. This project lengthened the highway by 0.40 miles (0.64 km) at the time.[8] The current bridge was built in 1953 and rebuilt in 1980 by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT).[lower-alpha 2] 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 (MnDOT) 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, MnDOT 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.[11] The project was completed on May 28, 2010, when the bridge reopened to cars and passenger trucks.[12]

Major intersections
StateCountyLocationmi[lower-alpha 3]kmDestinationsNotes
MinnesotaChisagoFranconia Township0.0000.000 MN 95 – Scandia, Taylors Falls
St. Croix River1.233
0.00		1.984
0.00		State line
WisconsinPolkOsceola0.300.48 WIS 35 – Somerset, St. Croix Falls
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

Footnotes
  1. Total mileage is a summation of the state mileages.[1][2]
  2. In the National Bridge Inventory, a collection of reports from state departments of transportation on the status of the country's bridges, Wisconsin and Minnesota both reported the 1953 construction, but only Wisconsin reported the 1980 reconstruction.[9][10]
  3. Mileage numbers reset at the Minnesota–Wisconsin state line crossing.[1][2]

References
  1. Minnesota Department of Transportation (September 9, 2009). "Metro Division" (PDF). Trunk Highway Log Point (PDF). St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  2. Region 5 (May 14, 2009). State Trunk Highway Log for Region 5. Eau Claire: Wisconsin Department of Transportation. p. 669.
  3. Berg, Earl L. (1949). "Chapter 663-H.F. No. 1792". Session Laws of Minnesota for 1949. St. Paul, Minnesota: Commissioner of Administration. pp. 1177–1185.
  4. Minnesota Department of Highways (1949). Official Road Map of Minnesota Showing the State Highway System and Main Secondary Roads (Map). Scale not given. St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Highways. § N17. OCLC 5673160, 80405240. Retrieved February 28, 2011 – via Minnesota Digital Library. (Showing road conditions as of January 1, 1949)
  5. Minnesota Department of Highways (1950). Official Road Map of Minnesota Showing the State Highway System and Main Secondary Roads (Map). Scale not given. St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Highways. § N17. OCLC 5673160, 80405240, 52146707. Retrieved February 28, 2011 – via Minnesota Digital Library. (Showing road conditions as of January 1, 1950)
  6. Google (May 4, 2010). "Osceola, Wisconsin" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  7. Schillberg, John G. "A History of Osceola Wisconsin". Osceola, Wisconsin: Osceola Historical Society. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  8. Minnesota Department of Transportation. "Control Section 1310, Trunk Highway 243" (PDF). Construction Project Logs (PDF). St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
  9. Federal Highway Administration (2010). "B48022400000000". National Bridge Inventory. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  10. Federal Highway Administration (2010). "6347". National Bridge Inventory. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  11. Weaver, Kyle (April 6, 2010). "Bridge Rehab Begins". Kanabec County Times. Mora, Minnesota. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  12. "Busy Bridge in Western Wisconsin Re-Opens Friday". Eau Claire, Wisconsin: WQOW-TV. May 28, 2010. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
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