ICYMI: Star Tribune Editorial: Inching closer to St. Croix bridge

The debate over a new St. Croix bridge has raged for decades, wasting too much precious time and taxpayer dollars.

Now, largely due to the perseverance of U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, the state is closer than ever before to finally getting the bridge built.

Momentum increased this week with congressional hearings on a bill Bachmann introduced that could lead to an exception to the U.S. Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The bill has bipartisan support from key congressional leaders representing Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as from both states' governors.

U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, told the Star Tribune after the hearing that the bill was a no-brainer and should receive House approval, though that's far from a sure thing.

"It should have been solved a long time ago," said Bishop, chairman of the national parks, forests and public lands subcommittee. "It's being held up by the federal government."

He's right. The bridge should have moved forward ages ago, but lawsuits by environmentalists and flip-flopping by the National Park Service brought the project to a screeching halt.

Bachmann, however, didn't give up. She put a bill forth last year to keep the project going, but got nowhere in a House controlled by Democrats.

She tried again this year and, with Republicans now in the driver's seat, has not only gotten an ear but has drawn bipartisan support from unlikely corners.

Not long ago, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton stood beside Bachmann near the shores of the St. Croix River and announced his support. Soon after, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said she would introduce a Senate version of the bill.

Unfortunately, U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., remains an obstacle and is adamant in her opposition. U.S. Sen. Al Franken won't support any project until Wisconsin confirms that it will pony up its share of the expense.

That a new bridge across the St. Croix River is needed has never been in doubt. The current two-lane lift bridge in Stillwater is deteriorating and is unsuitable for traffic needs. The nearby Interstate 94 corridor simply couldn't handle the all of the traffic should the Stillwater bridge be closed.

The long debate has been over the type of bridge to build as well as its size and its location. After years of vetting a range of possibilities, all but two of the key stakeholders agreed that the project Bachmann is advocating was the best. It's a four-lane, freeway-style bridge with pedestrian paths to be built south of downtown Stillwater.

After weighing every sensitivity imaginable, the stakeholders determined that this plan is best suited to traffic needs and less environmentally harmful to the area's bluffs, floodplains and wetlands. It's also the most direct path across the river.

Construction on the Minnesota side would occur in an industrial area surrounded by a sewage facility and power plant with a giant smokestack that routinely spews clouds of vapor. Rather than destroying the aesthetics, a new bridge with an appropriate design would vastly improve that site.

Costs for the project are to be shared by Wisconsin and Minnesota. The estimated price tag is $292 million, with an additional $340 million for a range of other expenditures, such as preserving historical landmarks.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation says it has already set aside $160 million in federal funding and $203 million in trunk highway bonding for the effort.

This is a bridge Congress needs to cross.

Note: To view the article at StarTribune.com, click here.