There's little doubt the new County Road 70 bridge over Interstate 35 in Lakeville has been well received.
"It makes the flow in and out there so much better," said Mike Mueller, owner of the nearby movie theater.
Its price tag, however, is a bit tougher to swallow.
The bridge, which opened this fall after two years of construction, is nearly $6 million over budget. Most of the extra cost stems from higher-than-expected prices Dakota County and Lakeville had to pay nearby property owners for land.
Lakeville City Administrator Steve Mielke said the city is "disappointed but not surprised" that the cost of purchasing the land came in higher than anticipated. He said negotiations began three years ago when land values were at their peak.
"This project is going to serve the community for years to come," Mielke said. "The fact that the cost came in higher than expected doesn't change the fact it was a worthwhile project."
Dakota County Transportation Director Mark Krebsbach said the County Road 70 bridge is one of the largest projects the county has undertaken. The bridge, with two lanes and turn lanes in both directions, replaces an old bridge that had just one lane each way.
Krebsbach said negotiating with property owners for the needed right of way was challenging because the county had to consider the landowners' claims of the properties' "highest and best use." Since the area comprises mostly undeveloped commercial properties near a major intersection, there was wide interpretation of what those best uses could be. The project budget included $10 million to buy the properties, but the actual price was more than $15.2 million.
