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Bridge Over Troubled Waters

Stillwater Bridge (Minnesota)

$120 million

Stillwater Bridge is a proposed nine-lane, 2/3-mile long bridge that would be built across the St. Croix River between Stillwater, Minnesota, and Houlton, Wisconsin, just east of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The proposed bridge is unnecessary in part because it would be built a mere one mile south of an existing two-lane lift bridge that has 5 to 15 years of useful life left. In addition, an interstate freeway bridge already crosses the river 5-miles downstream at Hudson, Wisconsin. Moreover, although proponents of the new bridge cite traffic congestion as the purpose of the proposed bridge, Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) documents show that a new bridge would not noticeably improve highway congestion levels in the Stillwater area. According to a recent study, the existing lift bridge could be repaired and maintained indefinitely at a fraction of the cost of a new bridge. The Stillwater Bridge will cost federal taxpayers $120 million and destroy wetlands on a Wild and Scenic River and nearby farmlands.

Green Scissors Proposal
Cancel the Stillwater Bridge project proposed by MNDOT, saving federal taxpayers $120 million (80 percent of the $150 million total project cost).

Current Status

In October 1998, the National Park Service (NPS), the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration agreed, pending environmental review, to proceed on the Stillwater project with a somewhat shorter, lower-speed bridge in a slightly different alignment than was originally proposed. The project would still constitute a major intrusion on the river since it would involve cutting into undisturbed bluffs and placing numerous large piers in the river. Action is on hold for the moment while the state and federal governments complete a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) and attempt to mediate the dispute with interested parties. The NPS must issue its opinion on the adequacy of the SEIS and the consistency of the project with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

In September 2002, President Bush issued an executive order that recommended that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process should be streamlined for several Department of Transportation projects, including Stillwater Bridge. It is unclear how this change will affect the Stillwater Bridge proposal, though an accelerated review may compromise built-in environmental safeguards.

Project Hurts Taxpayers

Federal taxpayers would have to pay 80 percent of the Stillwater Bridge's estimated $150 million price tag. The bridge is unnecessary and heavily criticized. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, "the four lane span would encourage the exporting to Wisconsin of people, tax base, jobs, and economic growth that should be kept in Minnesota." The proposed bridge is out of proportion and over-priced, and bridge planners have not explored cheaper alternatives.

Project Hurts the Environment

The bridge would adversely affect the St. Croix River, the only river in Minnesota to be federally designated as "Wild and Scenic." The bridge would be the largest structure ever built over the river. The NPS said that the bridge as originally proposed would have a "direct and adverse effect on the scenic and recreational values of the Riverway." The bridge would destroy wetlands and many acres of farmland. The bridge and its associated upgrade would triple the amount of paved surface and increase the amount of polluted runoff in the area. The bridge would also negatively impact the scenery, groundwater, and neighboring habitat.

Contacts

• Scott Elkins, Minnesota Sierra Club, (612) 659-9124;
• David Hirsch, Friends of the Earth, (202) 783-7400 x 215.