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House approves St. Croix bridge legislation

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House approved the St. Croix River bridge 339-80 Thursday and sent the legislation on to President Obama.

The St. Croix River bridge circa 1945

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives approved a new bridge over the St. Croix River on Thursday, voting 339-80 to send a bill authorizing the project to President Obama for his signature.

The bill provides an exemption to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, which protects the St. Croix River and has prevented the bridge project from going forward for several decades. The $700 million four-lane bridge has bipartisan support from lawmakers in both parties — Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar was the lead architect of the legislation and steered it through the Senate in January, and Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann sponsored the bill in the House.

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