Tom Warne Report, 13 July 2012
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of transportation have selected HDR, an architectural and engineering firm to design a bridge to span the St. Croix River, between Oak Park Heights, Minnesota and St. Joseph Wisconsin. The $14.2 million contract will cover the design of the four-lane extradosed-type bridge which is a hybrid of a concrete box girder structure and a cable-stayed structure but is lower in height than a typical cable-stayed bridge.
The new bridge is expected to cost between $280 million and $310 million, and will use the design-bid-build method. The main bridge is part of the larger St. Croix Crossing project, which includes expressways on either side of the bridge in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The project also includes an extensive trail facility for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as historic and environmental mitigation efforts. The total cost for the entire St. Croix Crossing project is estimated at $580 million to $676 million. Design work will be complete in approximately one year and construction is anticipated to begin in fall 2013.