By Mark W. Olson

A group of city, local and state officials, as well as one protester, attended the Tuesday morning dedication of a Chaska historical marker.

The 1938 roadside marker, along County Road 61 west of downtown Chaska, had fallen into disrepair, with missing stone, overgrown weeds, and a vandalized bronze plaque. Last year the marker underwent a $170,000 restoration, paid for by the state.

By the end of this week the City of Chaska expects that the major road closures within the community will be open to accommodate the school traffic that will start on Tuesday, Sept. 7.

According to the City Hall bulletin, the two projects coming to a close are Hundertmark Road east of Highway 41 and the downtown median and signal project. Both projects should be completed by Labor Day for full traffic movement.

Motorists will encounter delays and a detour when Highway 101 closes at the railroad crossing just north of Highway 5 in Chanhassen beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 31.

Highway 101 will reopen by 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 3, according to a MnDOT press release. The closure is necessary as railroad crews replace the railroad crossing.Motorists should follow the posted detours or find alternate routes.

* Eastbound Highway 5 detour: Take eastbound Highway 5 to westbound I-494 to westbound Highway 62 back to Highway 101.

This commentary, by SouthWest Transit CEO Len Simich, is response to the Aug. 24 Star Tribune article, “Brewing bus battle: Fancy vs. Frill-Free."

I feel the need to respond to the August 24, 2010 article written by David Peterson in the Star Tribune which in my estimation did not give the entire picture regarding the current debate over the provision of transit services in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.

By Mark W. Olson

After a year on the backburner, negotiations to acquire 5.6 miles of abandoned rail line in Carver and Scott counties appear to be heating up.

The track was officially abandoned following the March 2007 collapse of a railroad trestle. Since then, cities and counties have eyed the property for everything from trails to utility corridors to road expansion.

A bituminous mill and overlay is being completed on Pioneer Trail from Bavaria Road to Audubon Road (County Road 15). 

Pedestrian ramps have been reconstructed to meet ADA requirements, according to a Carver County press release.

Milling operations will be occurring from Aug. 10 to 12. Paving operations will be occurring Aug. 11 to 13, and during the week of Aug. 14, until project completion.

By Mark W. Olson

It hasn’t been an easy year for Mike Webb, owner of Dunn Bros Coffee, at the southwest corner of Highway 41 and Second Street.

First there was the flood that shut down all his commuter traffic this spring. Then there was the stoplight installation and sidewalk construction that dug up his front stoop and created a hassle for customers over the past few months.

“The process has been relatively painful,” he said.

However, Webb also remembers Dec. 3, 2008.

Over the past week, commuters may have spotted the new stoplight at the Highway 41/Second Street intersection. According to a recent City Hall bulletin, the signal “should be fully operational by next week.”

“MnDOT will then begin work on the landscaped median on Highway 41 from Chaska Boulevard (old Highway 212) to the Minnesota River.”

The bulletin stated that lane closures will occur on Highway 41 while the work is being finished. “The entire project is expected to be completed by mid-September.”