The new bridge across the St. Croix River, south of Stillwater, will not open until 2017 because of construction delays, state officials said Friday.
The bridge, which will replace the Stillwater Lift Bridge and officials had hoped it would open by fall 2016.
“This is a very complex engineering project,” MnDOT Commissioner Charlie Zelle said in a statement. “This is only the second major bridge of its type built in the U.S. and the methods of construction are taking longer than anticipated.”
Cost of the project, including approach roads, is estimated at $580 million to $646 million, with Minnesota paying between $340 million and $375 million, and Wisconsin responsible for the rest.
A revised opening date will be announced by the end of the year, Zelle said.
“While we know that residents of this region want the bridge to be open for traffic as soon as possible, our highest priority is to complete the project safely and to the high standards we’ve set for it,” he said.
Roadwork on the Minnesota side at Hwy. 36 is complete and work on the the Wisconsin side roads is on schedule.
Bridge to No Where
“While we know that residents of this region want the bridge to be open for traffic as soon as possible, our highest priority is to complete the project safely and to the high standards we’ve set for it,” he said…..you mean the residents of Wisconsin who commute daily to Mn for good paying jobs?
Replace
Now that it is nearly done and we can see its massive ugliness, tear it down and build a proper bridge worthy of its site!