Title: St. Croix River Crossing | New Bridge Near Stillwater, MN | Related Links
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Content: Right-of-way was acquired, and site preparation work was initiated. In 1996, the National Park Service (NPS) evaluated the project under Section 7 (a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and found that the project, as proposed, would have a direct and adverse effect on the outstandingly remarkable scenic and recreational values for which the Lower St. Croix River was included in the National Wild and Scenic River System. As a result of this finding, federal permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard could not be issued for the project, and the project was not allowed to proceed. In April 1998, the U.S. District Court upheld the NPS determination. In an effort to determine whether any crossing of the Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway was feasible near Stillwater, Mn/DOT and Wis/DOT invited Richard P. Braun, a retired Mn/DOT transportation commissioner, to perform an independent review of the project. Braun was asked to review the need for a replacement crossing and to investigate potential bridge alignment alternatives. In addition, he was asked to recommend an alignment and type of bridge structure that would be both feasible to construct and acceptable for implementation by the key interested parties. Between June and September of 1998, Braun conducted extensive discussions and meetings with many individuals and organizations, and facilitated public meetings with a 21-member advisory group (the St. Croix River Crossing Advisory Group) that included representatives from federal and state regulatory agencies, local and regional units of government, environmental groups, historic preservation groups, and chambers of commerce. Braun recommended a four-lane, deck-tied, steel arch bridge on an alignment 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) south of the existing Stillwater Lift Bridge. The proposed bridge would cross the river perpendicularly and would be shorter than the 1995 Final EIS Preferred Alternative.