What's on Tap for the St. Croix River Crossing Project in 2013
Construction on the new St. Croix River Crossing in Oak Park Heights is expected to begin in May 2013.
Whether you love it, hate it or claim indifference, the St. Croix River Crossing was the biggest story of 2012 in the St. Croix Valley.
On March 14, President Barack Obama signed a bill exempting the St. Croix River Crossing from the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. A project decades in the making could finally move forward.
This year, construction will begin.
What's On Tap For 2013:
- The Minnesota Department of Transportation will have lettings (ask for proposals from contractors) for the Highway 36 approach work and the foundations piece of the bridge this spring.
- Wisconsin State officials plan to relocate rare mussel species out of an area of the St. Croix River where construction of a new bridge between Wisconsin and Minnesota will disturb the river bottom.
- Contracts will be awarded and work will begin in May in the St. Croix river and on Highways 36 and 95.
- The letting for the St. Croix overlook is in March and construction from May to September.
- Construction on the parking lot for Club Tara will begin in April 2013.
MnDOT will talk more firmly about dates in a few weeks, Mary McFarland Brooks, a department spokesperson said.
Click here to watch the progress of construction on MnDOT's live webcam.
Shanna Host
10:50 am on Thursday, January 3, 2013
Thanks for the update. Can you also tell us the plans for 35 between Hudson and RF?
OLD MORT
3:02 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013
This will only encourage the cheese heads to take more of our jobs! They work a lot cheaper than us Minnesotans, and you just know cheap labor is appreaciated by the republican factory owners. This will be the start of the downfall of our great state. Thanks Bachmann, Frankin, Dayton and Klobcubar!
Mike Knox
2:29 pm on Saturday, January 5, 2013
Mort, you are welcome to move over here. We don't work for less and we get the same TV channels, but we do root for a different team.
Dennis Benson
3:17 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013
We do appreciate the updates and progress on this necessary and long over due project
D Benson
K
6:50 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013
Does anyone know if we (the public) are finally going to get the long promised ( by the MN DNR) public boat access/launch to the St.Croix, in conjunction with this project ?
Shawn Hogendorf
8:16 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013
It appears so, K. Here's a list of the mitigation items that are a part of this project: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/stcroixcrossing/pdf/projectlayout-on%20aerial-with-mitigation-impl-status-11-15-12-reducedsize.pdf
Looks like it has 90 "percent complete," with an agreement approved, but waiting for an implementation date.
K
9:45 am on Saturday, January 5, 2013
Thanks !!! Finally, the public will get access to middle part of our river back (ever since the King Plant access was closed 20+yrs ago)