St. Louis County to tackle 107 road and bridge projects in 2026

St. Louis County is putting one of its biggest infrastructure programs on the ground in 2026: 107 road and bridge projects worth $83 million, a workload that will touch commuters, freight traffic and rural access across the county.

The scale matters because Public Works is responsible for about 3,000 miles of roads and more than 600 bridges, along with more than 40,000 traffic signs. County officials describe that network as stretching the equivalent of a round trip from Duluth to Jacksonville, Florida, and say their mission is to keep it safe, reliable and useful for access to county services, recreation, natural resources and employment centers.

The money behind the program comes from local tax levies, state aid, federal highway funds and transportation sales tax revenue. That mix turns the 2026 project list into more than a wish list: it is a funded construction season that will bring road work, resurfacing, bridge maintenance and other improvements into communities from the Twin Ports to the Iron Range.

The county’s active project list already shows bridge replacement work in motion or planned this spring on CR 266, Laine Road, near Two Harbors; CR 362, Waisanen Road, in Embarrass; CR 382, Woodland Road, south of Eveleth; and CSAH 25 northeast of Chisholm. Those projects point to a geographically wide program that is not limited to the county’s busiest corridors.

Other work is moving forward with city partners. St. Louis County and the City of Aurora are partnering on a 2026 project along CSAH 100, also known as 3rd Avenue North and Main Street, from about a quarter-mile east of Highway 135 to Highway 110. That kind of coordination will shape how quickly work can move and how much disruption nearby businesses and drivers absorb.

Public Works also says it maintains 17 tool houses across four maintenance districts, with buildings and equipment valued at about half a billion dollars. The department inspects and maintains over 600 state bridges over 10 feet in length and 300 bridges under 10 feet, a reminder that the county’s work extends well beyond patching pavement.

For residents, the practical effect will be detours, lane shifts and seasonal construction notices in places that depend on county roads for daily travel, emergency access and freight movement. For county leaders, the larger test is whether Public Works can deliver a sprawling capital program on time, on budget and in the parts of St. Louis County where safety and infrastructure needs are highest.