Stillwater lift bridge 2026 summer lift schedule ends Tuesday night, Oct. 20, as work begins on lift bridge electrical system, replacement of lift motor
ROSEVILLE, Minn. – With a final lift of the historic lift bridge span at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20, the Stillwater Lift Bridge summer lift schedule for marine traffic on the St. Croix River will officially end. And a project to replace the bridge’s problematic festoon electrical cable and drive motor will begin on Monday, Oct. 19. The festoon cable provides power for the motor that lifts the span. The work also includes replacing steel platforms, ladders and railings.
Once the bridge is no longer staffed, the lift bridge will remain in the down position until next spring unless a lift is requested. Boaters must call MnDOT at 651-234-7110 a minimum of 24 hours in advance to schedule a bridge lift.
During the electrical cable and lift motor replacement, crews will work Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The sidewalk on the south side of the structure will remain open at all times, although the former driving surface will be fenced off along the length of the bridge. The fence will remain in place throughout the project to keep pedestrians and bicyclists out of the work area during the week and then reopen on weekends.
The Stillwater Lift Bridge lift schedule will resume in the spring of 2027 and maintenance work on the bridge should be complete by mid-May, 2027.
The lift bridge is part of a nearly five-mile bicycle/pedestrian loop trail that connects Minnesota and Wisconsin across the St Croix River.
For more information or a printable lift schedule, please visit the Stillwater Lift Bridge website at mndot.gov/stillwaterliftbridge.
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