It's no secret that U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-St. Paul) seems obsessed with trying to stop the St. Croix River Crossing.
During a live U.S. House committee hearing, while discussing the Stillwater Lift Bridge, she pointedly asked the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, "Is it impossible to remove a bridge on the National Historic Registry?"
Sadly, Secretary Salazar responded, "I think it is probably possible. It may take an act of Congress...but there are probably ways in which it can be done..."
With her questioning, the congresswoman is attempting to rehash a discussion about tearing down the historic lift bridge to build a new bridge in the same location. Five years ago, project planners answered this question during the review process for the St. Croix River Crossing project. Building an in-place replacement for the Stillwater Lift Bridge simply isn't a feasible solution because Stillwater's downtown streets were designed in the 1850s and cannot handle modern-day levels of regional traffic.
Rep. McCollum, who doesn't even represent our community, is suggesting that we should consider destroying the historic lift bridge. This shows just how ill-informed and out of touch she is with what is important to the people who live in, work in and love the St. Croix River Valley. The historic Stillwater Lift Bridge is an icon of our city, our region and the state. We will not let her or anyone destroy it.
As members of the Stillwater City Council and as residents of a dynamic region that has a history, culture and business community that span the St. Croix River, we think it's time for the congresswoman to review her own history - and respect ours at the same time.
In 2009, Rep. McCollum stood next to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation at the Union Depot renovation project in St. Paul and said, "The future of transportation is about more than just moving people. It's about building communities and connecting regions and that's exactly what Union Depot will do."
The same is true about the St. Croix River Crossing. The project is a long-overdue investment for our region to modernize our transportation system, create jobs and protect our environment from air pollution and phosphorous runoff. The project includes preserving the historic Stillwater Lift Bridge and converting it into a key piece of a loop trail between downtown and the new bridge. The project will fix the transportation gridlock and effectively unclog our downtown streets, making it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists who want to enjoy our community.
From our conversations with residents and from recent polling, the overwhelming majority of the people we represent support the project. They want us to do everything we can to see that it is approved. Stillwater residents want a vibrant community in the midst of a vibrant region that is poised for the future. And they want their downtown back.
It's time to build the bridge. Stillwater will partner with bridge advocates throughout the St. Croix Valley, and we will do whatever we can to help Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Al Franken, Rep. Michele Bachmann and Gov. Mark Dayton build the new bridge.
Ken Harycki is mayor of Stillwater. Joining him as co-writers are City Council members Mike Polehna, Jim Roush and Doug Menikheim.
Note: To view the original article at Pioneer Press, click here.
