TIMELINE: Stillwater bridge through the years

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1931

The Stillwater lift bridge opens, replacing an aging wooden structure at the same location.

1951

Spring flooding forces Minnesota to start considering a replacement bridge between Houlton and Stillwater, Minn.

1965

Record flooding on the St. Croix River renewed debate about the construction of a possible new span. Several new routes across the river were studied through the 1960s.

1968

The National Wild and Scenic Riverway Act is adopted by Congress and a portion of the St. Croix gains the designation as a protected waterway.

1970

Plans for a new bridge stall out as funds could not be secured.

1972

The lower St. Croix River is added to the Wild and Scenic Riverway System, protecting much of the river from obtrusive development along its shores.

1984

Wisconsin and Minnesota work together in an effort to construct a $20 million to $30 million bridge. Traffic volumes on the existing bridge are estimated at 13,000 vehicles per day.

1987

Officials identify four possible sites for a new bridge — two in the downtown area, one north of Stillwater and one south.

1990

Three potential bridge corridors are analyzed with no immediate action taken on a preferred plan.

1995

Plans for a new four-lane bridge emerge. The crossing would be constructed about one mile south of the current lift bridge. Final design work on the bridge and approaching roadways is completed. Property needed for the project is purchased and homes demolished to make way for the bridge. Site preparation begins in Oak Park Heights, Minn.

1996

The National Park Service determines that the proposed bridge would have a negative impact on the riverway. Expected permits to allow for the bridge’s construction are not issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard.

1996

The Sierra Club and the Voyageurs National Park Association file a lawsuit to stop construction of the span.

1998

To address concerns about possible environmental impacts from a new bridge, a new bridge alignment and design is proposed. A 21-member advisory group helps guide the process.

2000

Negotiations over the new bridge stall as officials decide what to do with the current lift bridge. Discussions center around removal of the structure, converting it to a pier or leaving the bridge intact.

2001

Work is suspended on the project due to insufficient federal funding for the lift bridge mitigation alternatives, the inability of federal, state, and local agencies to reach a consensus on the disposition of the lift bridge, and failure to reach consent for the project from municipal leaders.

2002

The bridge process begins again. A new corridor for a future bridge is proposed.

2002

President George W. Bush issues Executive Order 13274 to help streamline environmental review of transportation infrastructure projects. The St. Croix River Crossing project was added as one of the seven projects nationwide covered by this executive order.

2003

The RESOLVE stakeholders resolution process is instigated to bring about agreement on the current bridge and future bridge across the St. Croix River. Some 26 identified “stakeholders” are involved in the process.

2004

Estimated project cost rises to $484 million.

2005

The U.S. Park Service changes course and says it will allow the bridge project to move forward, despite its continued concerns over the span’s likely impact on the riverway.

2006

Federal authorities decide that the environmental review is completed and the bridge project is set to move ahead.

2006

The Sierra Club files another lawsuit, noting that construction of a new bridge would violate federal laws that protect the St. Croix River.

2010

A district court judge sides with the Sierra Club, questioning the Park Service’s rationale behind its change of heart.

2010

The U.S. Park Service determines that the proposed bridge would have a negative impact on the riverway, stopping the project again.

2011

Bridge backers determine that the only way to get a new bridge constructed is for the U.S. Congress to allow for a project-specific exception to the Wild and Scenic Riverway Act.

2012

The U.S. Senate passes the St. Croix River Crossing Project Authorization Act on Jan. 23. On March 1, the U.S. House approves a similar bill on a 339-80 vote.

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