Firm selected to design St. Croix Crossing Bridge

• Image

Talk about it

The Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of transportation have selected

the architectural and engineering firm HDR, with teaming partner Buckland & Taylor, to lead the design effort for the St. Croix Crossing Bridge.

The bridge, which will span the St. Croix River, will be located between Oak Park Heights, Minn. and St. Joseph, Wis.

The $14.2 million government contract will develop the extradosed-type bridge design that was selected by a community stakeholder group. The bridge design is said to minimize environmental impacts by keeping tower heights below the river bluffs and reducing the number of piers in the river.

When completed, the St. Croix Crossing will be the second extradosed bridge in the United States; the first extradosed bridge is currently being

constructed in Connecticut.

The four–lane St. Croix Crossing Bridge, estimated to cost between $280 and $310 million, will be constructed using the design-bid-build method.

The bridge is a part of the larger St. Croix Crossing project, which includes expressways on either side of the bridge in Minnesota and

Wisconsin.

The project also includes an extensive trail facility for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as historic and environmental mitigation efforts. The total cost for the entire St. Croix Crossing project is estimated to cost between $580 and $676 million.

The design work will take approximately one year to complete with construction of the bridge anticipated to begin in fall 2013. The construction process will last about three years.

For more information on the St. Croix Crossing project, visit www.dot.state.mn.us/stcroixcrossing or the St. Croix Crossing Facebook page at www.facebook.com/saintcroixcrossingmndot.

Tags: news, wisconsin, minnesota, traffic