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St. Croix Crossing

Connecting Oak Park Heights, Minn., and St. Joseph, Wis.

 

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St. Croix Crossing

Wisconsin Department of Transportation

A shared project between the Minnesota and Wisconsin DOTs.

Location

Oak Park Heights, Minn., to St. Joseph, Wis.

Schedule

Construction is expected to begin in spring 2013 and will take approximately three years to complete.

Cost

Bridge=$280 million to $310 million
Total Project=$580 million to $676 million

Stillwater Lift Bridge

The Stillwater Lift Bridge is open

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Project Overview

The St. Croix Crossing, connecting Minnesota and Wisconsin, will replace the 80-year old Stillwater Lift Bridge with a four-lane bridge that will connect expressways on both sides of the river.

This major project will replace the 80-year-old Stillwater Lift Bridge with a four-lane bridge that will connect expressways on both sides of the St. Croix River. Currently, severe traffic congestion in downtown Stillwater causes pedestrian and traffic safety problems, which are amplified by current Lift Bridge operations.

 

The St. Croix Crossing project will provide a safer, more reliable river crossing. The project includes a four-lane river bridge, new roadway approaches on both sides of the river, historic and environmental mitigation, and extensive trail facilities (PDF) that will include converting the Lift Bridge to a bike and pedestrian facility. The project will provide jobs for suppliers, subcontractors, disadvantaged business enterprises as well as general contractors.

 

 

Bidding and Contracting

 

Project Benefits

The project has been developed to protect and/or minimize impacts to the extensive historic and natural resources of the area. St. Croix Crossing balances community needs and improves quality of life for the region. It provides a sustainable solution for future generations by:    

 

Project Costs/Cost Sharing

MnDOT is the lead agency on this project and is coordinating and sharing costs with WisDOT. The project can be considered as three smaller projects with their own set of costs - the approach roads in each state and the bridge. The cost of the bridge, historic and environmental remediation, and project development are split evenly between the states. The cost of the Wisconsin and Minnesota approach roads will be paid for by the respective states. The current total project cost estimate range is from $571 million to $676 million and includes construction, right of way, environmental protection and remediation, contingency, bonds and insurance, engineering and management, etc.

 

It is also important to note that the project is using a total project cost estimate when citing costs, which adds in all ancillary expenses. Traditionally, only construction costs are reported when referring to project costs. The total project cost estimate provides a more accurate, and larger, view of the total cost. View the TPCE chart (PDF) for more details on projects costs.

 

Tentative Schedule

A foundation load test completed in summer, 2012 provided bridge designers with critical information on soil conditions under the river. Construction of the new bridge is expected to begin in 2013 and take about three years to complete. The approach roadways will also be built during this period.

 

Hwy 36 work includes:

 

 

More information will be available after the contractor for the Hwy 36 approach work is selected in early spring.

 

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