Bill would allow exemption for Stillwater Lift Bridge
A project to upgrade a bridge between Wisconsin and Minnesota might be allowed to continue despite environmental objections.
The 1930s-era steel drawbridge connects Houlton, Wis., and Stillwater, Minn. Efforts to replace it have been held up over concerns that the new bridge would hurt the river's scenic and recreational values.
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind of Wisconsin is co-sponsoring a bill that would grant the project a waiver to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. He tells Wisconsin Public Radio the old bridge is unsafe and a traffic nightmare. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota is a co-sponsor.
The Sierra Club has twice sued to stop construction of the replacement bridge.
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