Editorial: A bridge to jobs

Article by: EDITORIAL BOARD
Updated: October 19, 2012 - 8:27 PM

Timetable moved up, money saved on bridge project.

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This is a rendering of the four-lane bridge being built over the St. Croix River.

Photo: Courtesy, Minnesota Department of Transportation

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Construction of the piers for the foundation of the new St. Croix River Crossing Bridge will begin in 2013 -- a year ahead of schedule -- project leaders said in an unexpected announcement earlier this month. It's a welcome surprise.

This means jobs will be created soon rather than later. It also should drive down inflation costs on the overall bridge project, which is estimated at $580 million to $676 million. Beyond the bridge, the costs include extensive pedestrian and bike trails, as well as highway construction leading up to the site in both Minnesota and Wisconsin.

In a slowly recovering economy with too many people out of work, the expedited timetable is good news.

In addition, in August the project team said it was reducing the number of pier sets by one. "The change will be better for the environment and save time and money," project director Jon Chiglo said in a news release.

That kind of fiscal and environmental sensitivity is to be commended. With a project this size, the worry is always about cost overruns and wasteful spending. In this case, however, it appears project leaders are being cost-conscious without compromising bridge safety.

The four-lane, highway-style bridge will connect Oak Park Heights and St. Joseph Township, Wis. The bridge is sorely needed to replace the deteriorating two-lane bridge that routes traffic through downtown Stillwater, which is ill-suited to modern traffic demands.

The bridge took decades to come to fruition because of the historic, cultural and environmental sensitivities. President Obama signed legislation in March authorizing the project.

In an era of congressional gridlock, the project received unusual bipartisan support in Congress, which granted the exemption from the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act that was needed to move the effort forward.

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