Historic U.S. 61: Frontage Avenue, Stacy
Frontage Avenue, Stacy
Located In: Stacy, Chisago County.
Bypassed: 1949
Length: 0.20 miles
Also Marked As:
Until 1934
A small piece of the original paved highway between the Twin Cities and Duluth survives on the south side of the town of Stacy along the west side of what is now Chisago County Road 30.
Construction
The surviving section was originally completed in 1927 as part of a paving project that stretched all the way from Wyoming to Rock Creek. The road was paved with 18 feet of concrete. The section at Stacy was built directly on top of the previous gravel highway, graded in 1918.
The construction record shows that the bridge over the West Branch of the Sunrise River (no. 4029) on the south side of town was widened in the 1927 project, but there was no record of its original construction. The bridge's dedication plaque shows a date of '1925', which seems to contradict MnDOT's records. The bridge was constructed to a standard concrete girder design.
Bypass History
U.S. 61 at Stacy was rebuilt in 1949 as part of a modernization project that stretched all the way from Forest Lake to North Branch. The project straightened the highway on the south side of town and provided a new crossing over the Sunrise River via a culvert. A short piece of the old highway was retained as a local service drive.
Current Status
Although most of the old highway is still open to traffic, the bridge over the Sunrise River has been closed.
Most of the original concrete pavement has been covered with a light asphalt seal coat, but much of this has worn away, leaving quite a bit of the concrete exposed. Original concrete curbs also still survive in places.
The old highway ends on the north at the parking lot for a local tavern.
Photos - taken in October, 2009.
Looking north at the south end of Frontage Avenue in Stacy. Forest Blvd, former U.S. 61, is on the right.
Bridge 4029 over the Sunrise River, now closed to traffic. Note the gaps in the asphalt pavement, revealing the original concrete from 1927.
The bridge's dedication plaque, showing its construction date as 1925.
Bridge 4029's replacement: A culvert completed in 1949 (Br. 6488).
Looking back to the south on the other side of the bridge. Note the difference in grade between the two roads.
The north end of Frontage Avenue at the entrance to a local pub. Also note the old integrated curbs on the right side of the road.
