County, state and Virginia officials seek roadway swap and boundary fix ahead of US 53 project

Virginia City officials on Tuesday reviewed a package of road and boundary changes tied to a planned MnDOT reconstruction at U.S. 53 and Ninth Street that would realign local responsibility for several short road segments and allow a signalized T intersection to replace a County route.

The change proposal would exchange Hoover Road (0.76 miles) and Oregon Road (1.75 miles) between the city and Saint Louis County under a municipal/county state‑aid designation swap. Saint Louis County and MnDOT staff said the swap would increase county state‑aid mileage by the Oregon Road segment and reduce Virginia’s municipal state‑aid street mileage by about 0.88 miles; the city would need to complete formal designation steps with the MnDOT State Aid Division.

Why it matters: The swap, a separate boundary clarification and the planned reconstruction of the U.S. 53/Ninth Street intersection are linked. MnDOT staff said the west‑side portion of County State Aid Trunk Highway (Casaw 102) will be removed when the project is built, and a short “orphan” segment of Ninth Street between Hoover Road and 53 would be turned back to the city so the municipal system matches the actual city boundary.

MnDOT and county staff gave details and answered councilors’ questions about mileage, the state‑aid designation process and an outstanding mapping discrepancy. “There’s different data sources showing different boundaries,” a MnDOT presenter said, noting MnDOT’s mapping showed the short segment outside city limits while the county land records show it inside; staff said they were working to reconcile the two data sources so the State Aid Division can accept the municipal designation.

The project team also described an approach to keep the Mesabi Trail connected during construction: rather than leaving a rail crossing in place, trail managers and the county plan a temporary reroute that will use the existing U.S. 169 bridge crossings until a future, grade‑separated trail crossing can be funded. Councilors asked about pedestrian and bicycle access between the Midway neighborhood and the trail and discussed resurfacing and safety work the county could program for Oregon Road if the swap is approved.

Action requested and vote: Councilor Kevin Johnson moved to direct city staff to continue work and present final agreements to the council; Councilor Motley seconded. The motion carried by voice vote.

Next steps: City staff and county/MnDOT negotiators will finalize cooperative construction and swap agreements, reconcile mapping sources with MnDOT State Aid, and return formal agreements to the council for approval.