AASHTO Journal, 12 October 2012
A bridge project in Minnesota will begin work this spring instead of spring 2014, thanks to Minnesota Department of Transportation’s efficiency.
The St. Croix Crossing Bridge, estimated to cost between $280 million and $310 million, will replace the 80-year-old Stillwater Lift Bridge. The new bridge will include four lanes for traffic that will connect expressways on both sides of the St. Croix River, which separates Stillwater and Oak Park Heights in Minnesota from St. Joseph, Wisconsin. MnDOT will begin construction on the river piers for the bridge foundation in late spring of 2013 to get a head start on the project. MnDOT will be opening the $50 million bid for the river piers sometime this winter.
“We have been working on integrating the results of the load testing to make the project more efficient in terms of managing scope, schedule, and budget,” said MnDOT Project Director Jon Chiglo. “By separating out the foundation work, we can start construction sooner, reduce inflation costs and create jobs a year earlier than scheduled.”
Both Minnesota and Wisconsin have been attempting to replace the current bridge for decades, yet have run into problems obtaining federal approval because of restrictions outlined in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, as the St. Croix River is a designated National Scenic Riverway. The National Park Service’s policy for this scenic riverways requires the number of bridges on the river to remain constant, preventing the construction of a new bridge. At the same time, the bridge had National Register of Historic Places status, which made replacing the bridge difficult. However, both the Senate and House passed bipartisan legislation, the St. Croix River Crossing Project Authorization Act, earlier this year to waive those provisions and President Obama signed the bill in March. This allows the project to move forward after decades of being stalled.
The entire St. Croix Crossing project also includes trail systems and the construction of three miles of four-lane highway on Highway 35 Wisconsin, as well as the reconstruction three miles of Highway 36 and Highway 95 in Minnesota. The entire project, including the bridge, will cost between $580 million and $676 million.
Additional information on MnDOT’s St. Croix Crossing project is available at bit.ly/MNstcroix. Information is also available on the project’s facebook page.