Winona bridge expansion to boost SE Minn. transit, officials say

Officials gathered on the banks of the Mississippi River Friday for the groundbreaking of a new Winona bridge.

The roughly $162 million project will rehabilitate the existing Winona bridge across the Mississippi River to Wisconsin and also add a second span.

The new bridge will be built to the north of the existing bridge, and when completed, will carry four lanes of traffic across the river on Highway 43. Federal dollars will pay for more than third of the project.

Fixing the 70-year-old bridge will benefit Minnesota and Wisconsin along the river corridor, said Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle.

Construction is scheduled to begin next week and finish by fall 2019.

Here's a MnDOT simulation video of the new Winona bridge.