Winona bridge construction continues through winter

Work on the new Highway 43 bridge in Winona continues through the winter months, as construction crews are building the bridge piers over the Mississippi River.

"It is one of just a handful of projects that continue for MnDOT during the winter," said Mike Dougherty, a spokesman for MnDOT's southeastern Minnesota office. "It's a credit to those folks that are out there, because they're out on the water on barges doing a lot of this work, doing the pile driving and most of us are just trying to stay warm inside."

The project is the first time MnDOT is using an alternative contracting method that officials say allows for flexibility in the design.

"The goal is to get those piers built up and out of the water so that when spring flooding comes, which is an annual event, they'll still be able continue work and stay on schedule for opening the new bridge in 2016," Dougherty said.

The next phase of the project is finalizing a contract worth about $55 million for bridge decking and the roadway that connects to the bridge. Three earlier work packages worth about $23 million have been awarded to Ames Construction, a Burnsville company.

When the new bridge opens to traffic in late 2016, the old bridge — considered a historic landmark — will be rehabilitated.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.