NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 13, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Rachel Gregg, Resident Engineer
218-262-0174 (office)
North Shore Drive (CSAH 61) to reopen today
North Shore Drive (County State Aid Highway 61) is expected to re-open later today following more than five months of construction to replace the bridge spanning the French River. The road has been closed since the beginning of June for a large project involving demolition of the old bridge and construction of a new bridge, along with construction of a retaining wall and work on other amenities at a wayside rest.
This year's cancellation of Grandma’s Marathon and Northshore Inline Marathon - both of which pass over the bridge - simplified the project's accelerated construction schedule by allowing demolition to begin sooner, and removing the need to have a temporary surface in place in September.
Kraemer North America, LLC is the contractor on the project, and will resume work next spring to finish construction of the wayside rest and DNR Hatchery Facility entrance. During the winter months of 2020-2021 the wayside rest area at French River will remain closed. Remaining construction scheduled for the spring and summer of 2021 will not involve road closures.
The North Shore Scenic Drive Council (NSSDC) has designed four interpretive pieces to be installed at the wayside rest. The interpretive elements will display the history of the Scenic North Shore, early days of the fishery, decline of the fishery, and managing the future of the fishery. NSSDC is submitting an application to the Coastal Program Annual Grant for potential funding for the fabrication of these pieces.
"We know construction and detours can be inconvenient, so we want to thank our residents, business owners and traveling public for their patience and cooperation throughout this project," said Commissioner Keith Musolf, whose district includes this area along the shore. "The old bridge stood for 100 years, and we expect this new bridge will be in service for the next 100 years,"
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