Mile Creek Road Realignment and Bridge Construction EA

Cook County, Minnesota and the Grand Portage Band (the Band) of Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe), in partnership with Grand Portage National Monument (the park), propose to realign a segment of Mile Creek Road / County State Aid Highway 17 (CSAH 17) and construct a new bridge across Grand Portage Creek. The purpose of this project is to reduce the hazard caused by a blind curve, eliminate traffic and plowing impacts on an existing historic bridge, and increase pedestrian access.

This Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to provide a decision-making framework as follows: 1) Assess a reasonable range of alternatives to meet the purpose of the proposed action; 2) Evaluate potential issues and impacts to the natural and cultural resources of the park; and 3) Identify required mitigation measures to lessen the degree or extent of any potential adverse environmental impacts.

The EA evaluated two alternatives, Alternative A: No Action, and Alternative B: County Road 17 Re-Route (Preferred Alternative). Under Alternative A, the road would not be realigned. Under Alternative B, an existing blind curve would be removed, a portion of the original asphalt would be left in place as a walking path, and the road would be re-routed across a new bridge. The alternatives are described in detail in Chapter 2.

This EA identified the categories of resources, or Impact Topics, found within the project area that are most likely to be affected by the actions described in each alternative. These topics underwent a detailed analysis by agency staff to determine the most likely effects on the resources, and the mitigations required to avoid resource damage. The Impact Topics are identified in section 1.5 of this document and in Table 1. The preferred alternative, Alternative B, would result in no significant impacts to resources of the park.

Public Comment:
This EA and associated Wetlands Statement of Findings (WSOF) were available for public review for 30 days, from February 2 to March 4, 2023. Comments were solicited through the National Park Service (NPS) Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) site or through U.S. mail.

Superintendent
Grand Portage National Monument
170 Mile Creek Road
PO Box 426
Grand Portage, MN 55605

Document Content:

2023_GRPO_Road Realignment and Bridge EA_508.pdf   (1.5 MB, PDF file) 2023_GRPO_Appendix B_Wetland Statement of Findings_Road Realignment and Bridge EA_508.pdf   (2.3 MB, PDF file) 2023_GRPO_Appendix A_Reveg Plan_Road Realignment and Bridge EA_508.pdf   (513.6 KB, PDF file) 2023_GRPO_Road Realignment and Bridge Construction_FONSI DONI_Signed_508.pdf   (317.7 KB, PDF file) 2023_GRPO_Appendix C Hydraulic Analysis_Road Realignment and Bridge EA_508.pdf   (101.6 KB, PDF file) 2023_GRPO_Final Wetlands Statement of Findings_Road Realignment and Bridge.pdf   (2.5 MB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.