editorials

Despite opposition from an unlikely coalition of environmentalists and taxpayer rights groups, the St. Croix River Crossing bridge near Stillwater may be inching closer to reality after decades of debate. Close enough, in fact, that it's time to start thinking about how to actually pay for the controversial span.

If Minnesota and Wisconsin are successful in seeking $300 million in federal stimulus funds, construction bidding could be moved up to October 2010 -- almost three years earlier than if the states have to fund the entire project themselves. It could also reduce inflationary costs. But transportation officials must also fend off a legal challenge from the Sierra Club. And the jaw-dropping $668.5 million price tag for the bridge -- based on a 2013 start date -- has caught the attention of Taxpayers League of Minnesota and at least one similar national organization.

All of this points to the need for elected officials and transportation leaders in Minnesota and Wisconsin to consider how the project fits into other budget priorities and to weigh whether a revenue-raising pricing system for users of the bridge should be part of the funding mix. With both states facing serious budget problems, even with the federal funds the project would be an expensive addition to a long list of transportation needs on both sides of the St. Croix.

Longtime opponents, including the Sierra Club, say the bridge plan violates the St. Croix's protected status under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, which is supposed to shield the area from development and pollution. Some opponents also argue that the bridge would only promote sprawl and would largely benefit Wisconsin residents. As an alternative, the Sierra Club has suggested expanding Interstate 94.

The arguments have been around for years, but there has been too little talk of the kind of innovation in transportation funding that's absolutely necessary to keep up with costs and demand.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is projecting a sobering $50 billion funding gap over the next two decades as the state strains to keep up with its aging system of roads and bridges. Commissioner Tom Sorel wisely says innovation is key to closing that gap, and he points out that the state is studying a new revenue system in which drivers would pay a fee per mile driven rather than a gas tax.

A pricing system that includes toll lanes deserves serious consideration in any new funding model. Minnesota should also be studying the effectiveness of public-private partnerships being used by some states, including Virginia, to fund transportation projects.

Building toll lanes into the plans for St. Croix River Crossing now, rather than after the bridge is built, could dampen opposition. Revenues could be used to fund transit along the corridor and offset some of the environmental mitigation costs. And tolls could provide a slight check on what would otherwise be unmanaged sprawl while encouraging carpooling and transit use.

Officials identified the need for a new bridge over the St. Croix in Stillwater in the 1970s. Sometimes it seems as if transportation funding discussions are stuck in that same era.