St. Croix River bridge ground breaking set for today

Bridge to never?
This undated artist rendering released by the Minnesota Department of Transportation shows an aerial view looking west of the St. Croix River Crossing between Oak Park Heights, Minn., and St. Joseph, Wis.
AP Photo/Minnesota Department of Transportation

A formal groundbreaking ceremony will be held Tuesday afternoon in Stillwater for the St. Croix Bridge project. Work is already underway on the project, which will cost between $580 million and $676 million.

The new bridge will span the St. Croix between Oak Park Heights in Minnesota and St. Joseph in Wisconsin, and replace the 80-year-old Stillwater Lift Bridge.

Elected officials from Minnesota and Wisconsin are scheduled to speak at the ceremony at Lowell Park in Stillwater.

"We are just looking for a salutatory event just to say that everything is underway," said Minnesota Department of Transportation spokeswoman Mary McFarland Brooks.

MnDOT is also establishing a no-wake zone for boaters near the bridge site, which will remain in effect for four years or until the bridge is complete.

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