The Stillwater Lift Bridge will close to motorists at noon Wednesday as crews begin repairing cable and inspecting the bridge's lift system. It should be reopened by 4 p.m.
The bridge ran into problems over the weekend when a bridge operator detected a frayed cable on the lift system of the bridge. As a precaution, the normal lift schedule was suspended.
The 80-year-old bridge has remained open to vehicle traffic but the lift span has had to remain in the down position and larger watercraft have been unable to get under the bridge, which is located in downtown Stillwater on the St. Croix River.
Officials initially were unable to locate a replacement cable, but MnDOT has since found the needed parts locally. Crews now expect to have the lift bridge fully operational and open to water traffic by the end of week, weather permitting.
Jim Durkin
