Secretary of Transporation works with officials from Minnesota and Wisconsin on St. Croix bridge project
Regional News-- Wisconsin’s transportation secretary has been asked by his federal counterpart to help lead a group to resolve issues concerning the proposed
- St. Croix bridge
WASHINGTON D.C. - Wisconsin’s transaction secretary has been asked by his federal counterpart to help lead a group to resolve issues concerning the proposed
Saint Croix River bridge near Hudson. U.S. Transportation chief Ray La Hood met yesterday on the project with DOT leaders Mark Gottlieb from Wisconsin and Tom Sorel of Minnesota. Federal lawmakers from both states also attended the meeting. Afterward, Sorel said they agreed on an approach that makes the proposed four-lane bridge closer than ever to being a reality.
Both governors and most congressional representatives have gotten behind a $633-million-dollar four-lane bridge between Hudson and Stillwater Minnesota, to replace an 80-year-old lift structure at Stillwater. A bill to that effect is pending in both the House and Senate. But yesterday, Minnesota representatives Betty McCollum (DFL-St. Paul) and Keith Ellison (DFL-Minneapolis) proposed a bill for a smaller three-lane project which caps the total cost at $574-million-dollars. That’s the same project sought by the Sensible Stillwater Bridge Partnership – a project those officials say would address a number of environmental concerns.
But Minnesota Senate Democrat Amy Klobuchar (DFL-Minneapolis) – a key sponsor of Senate funding for the four-lane bridge – said the McCollum bill is not likely to pass because other projects approved by Congress have cost more. Klobuchar also said Wisconsinites would join Minnesotans in paying for the new bridge. Under the current estimates, Wisconsin would pay $250-to-$310 million – and Minnesota would spend $220-to-$380-million.
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