Stillwater Lift Bridge back to normal after freezing in the up position

David Joles, Star Tribune file

The Stillwater Lift Bridge. The bridge deck was stuck in the up position this morning.

Star Tribune

Last update: April 15, 2008 - 9:12 PM

The Stillwater Lift Bridge is operating normally again.

The bridge was stuck from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, barring traffic from crossing between Minnesota and Wisconsin, said Mary McFarland, spokeswoman for the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

A faulty computer mechanism caused the problem, she said, adding that strong wind on the bridge might have contributed to the shutdown, she said.

Motorists were detoured to the I-94 bridge to the south or the Osceola, Wis., bridge to the north.

The bridge, built in 1931, opens at the end of this month for its regular navigation season, when it is raised every 30 minutes for river traffic. Otherwise it's raised by special request for barges, which was the case Tuesday, McFarland said.

McFarland said that the lift bridge getting stuck "has happened a lot. It's an old bridge. You kind of expect this."

KEVIN GILES AND PAUL WALSH