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Lawmaker urges funding to repair final 10 miles of Gunflint Trail in Cook County
Summary
A lawmaker representing a district that includes the Gunflint Trail asked for financial support to fix the deteriorated final 10 miles of the road in Cook County, Minnesota, citing threats to emergency response, tourism, local businesses and schoolbus access.
A lawmaker representing a district that includes the Gunflint Trail urged financial support to repair the final 10 miles of the remote road in Cook County, Minnesota, saying the stretch is 'severely deteriorated' and has no alternate routes.
The lawmaker said the Gunflint Trail is the "heart of my district," a primary thoroughfare to the Boundary Waters and Superior National Forest that connects Grand Marais to outlying cabins and recreation access points. "We have 44 entry points on the Gunflint Trail," the lawmaker said, "that's 1 million acres, 1,000 lakes, and 1,500 canoe miles you can access."
Why it matters: The speaker tied road condition directly to public safety, local commerce and school transport. They warned that worsening conditions are already reducing visitors to Cook County and that if the last 10 miles become impassable or undesirable to drive, businesses, cabin owners and tourists would be harmed and emergency responses could be delayed.
The lawmaker described typical emergency and travel risks on the narrow, remote route: when the road is rough, drivers must slow or risk losing control and going into ditches, which in turn delays responders who must travel the same segments to reach incidents. The speaker said past improvements covered 46 miles elsewhere on the trail but that the final segment requires new work. "We need to repair four bridges and replace 16 culverts," the lawmaker said, noting the repair scope and associated costs.
In a direct appeal, the lawmaker said, "I'm here to ask for your financial support in repairing the last 10 miles of the Gunflint Trail in Cook County, Minnesota." They emphasized that the segment's remoteness — with no alternate routes in or out — makes timely action important, including for routine needs like schoolbus routes.
Next steps: The remarks were a request for funding support; the transcript records no vote or formal motion. Any decision on funding or project scheduling was not specified in the remarks.
