County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 1 has the distinction of being the most traveled county road in Fillmore County. Reconstruction of this important artery started in the spring of 2016. Farmers and other home owners whose homes are along that 11.5 section of roadway from Spring Valley north to Highway 30 will see the long period of inconvenience and bumpy rides come to an end by the middle of September. The reward for them and the many commuters and truck drivers that use the road will be a smoother and safer road for years to come.
A short section at the north end of CSAH 1, a half mile or less, is in Olmsted County.
Message boards positioned on each end of this section of CSAH 1 will warn people about a week prior to closing when the road will be closed. County Engineer Ron Gregg expects the prep work for surfacing to begin about June 11. After July 4 the concrete overlay work will start and take about two weeks. Then the eight foot wide shoulders will be built up with gravel; intersections and driveway approaches will be paved with asphalt. Construction is expected to be completed allowing the road to be opened for through traffic by September 15 or possibly as early as the end of August.
During the time the road is closed, the official detour route includes Highway 16 out of Spring Valley, Highway 63, and Highway 30.
Many commuters choose to travel CSAH 1 from Spring Valley to Rochester instead of using Highway 63. GPS programs may direct travelers to use CSAH 1. Semi trucks and other commercial trucks often choose this route.
The road passes through some hills and valleys resulting in significant curves. With reconstruction the shoulders were widened and sharper curves were straightened to allow for 55 mile per hour travel. This realignment of the road will make travel safer and wider shoulders will allow for safer passage for farm equipment.
Three large bridges and two box culverts were replaced in the first year of the project. One of the bridges replaced had been built well over three-quarters of a century ago in 1933. Gregg said the grading of the northern five miles to reshape the road cost about $3.6 million ($2.2 million federal funding, the rest state funding). The concrete paving alone will cost $6.6 million for 11.5 miles. These figures do not include bridges and other grading and prep, finishing work, and numerous other costs associated with a large reconstruction project. The bridges were funded mostly through Minnesota bridge bonding.
CSAH 1 south of Spring Valley will receive a concrete overlay in 2019. There are two bridges that will need to be replaced. The plan is to replace one bridge this year. During construction, a short detour will be necessary. The second bridge will be replaced later when funding allows. Currently, CSAH 1 is torn up in the city of Ostrander. Installation of utilities is expected to be finished this year. The road will have a gravel surface this next winter. CSAH 3 within the city of Ostrander is also being reconstructed.