The Wisconsin and Minnesota Departments of Transportation are working on a plan for a new $40 million bridge over the St. Croix River at Osceola, Wis.

The current Minnesota/Wisconsin 243 bridge was built in 1953 and needs to be replaced, according to transportation officials.

Among the issues that need to be addressed: bridge conditions, stormwater drainage and pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, officials said.

The Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation are seeking public review and comment on the Highway 243 Osceola, Wis., bridge reconstruction.(Courtesy of Minnesota Department of Transportation)

Plans for the new bridge call for the construction of a shared-use path on the north side of Highway 243 in Minnesota and Wisconsin and on the bridge.

Transportation officials are seeking public review and comment on the Highway 243 bridge reconstruction project. The 30-day public comment period opened Tuesday and closes on Dec. 26.

Construction site preparation work is expected to begin in fall 2026 with major bridge construction scheduled for spring 2027. The work will require the closure of the bridge from spring 2027 to fall 2028; the new bridge is anticipated to be complete in spring 2029.

During the bridge closure, motorists are expected to be detoured to the U.S. 8 bridge at Taylors Falls and the Minnesota 36 bridge at Oak Park Heights. The travel time between the Osceola and Taylors Falls bridges is approximately 15 minutes, according to transportation officials. The travel time between the Osceola and Oak Park Heights bridges is approximately 30 minutes.

A public hearing regarding the proposed improvements will be held 5-7 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Osceola High School Cafeteria and Large Group Instruction Room; there will be a presentation at 5:30 p.m. A court reporter will be available to take verbal comments, and comment cards will be available for people who wish to provide written comments for the public record.

Copies of the environmental assessment, which documents the purpose and need of the project along with the potential environmental impacts, are available for public viewing during business hours at the MnDOT Metro District Water’s Edge Building in Roseville and the WisDOT Northwest Region-Eau Claire Office in Eau Claire, Wis.

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It’s also available at Osceola Village Hall; Franconia Town Hall; the Wilberg Memorial Public Library of Osceola; the Taylors Falls Public Library and the St. Croix Falls, Wis., Public Library.

Comments can be mailed, prior to the close of the public comment period on Dec. 26, to MnDOT Project Manager Dmitry Tomasevich at MnDOT, 1500 W. County Road B2, Roseville, MN 55113 or by email at dmitry.tomasevich@state.mn.us.

An electronic copy of the Environmental Assessment/Environmental Assessment Worksheet can be accessed starting Tuesday at MnDOT’s project website at mndot.gov/metro/projects/hwy243osceola/.

The bridge is jointly owned and managed by MnDOT and WisDOT; MnDOT officials are taking the lead on the project.