Wild and Scenic River Should Be Protected

Proposal and savings
Reject the Stillwater Bridge including the alternative project proposed by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) in October 1998. Estimated total project costs are $120 million — 80 percent federally funded.

Background
The proposed four-lane, mile-long Stillwater Bridge would be built across the St. Croix River between Oak Park Heights, Minnesota and Houlton, Wisconsin, just east of Minneapolis-St. Paul. It would replace an existing, narrow two-lane drawbridge that has 5 to 15 years of useful life left, but causes traffic congestion problems that will eventually need some solution. The Stillwater Bridge is more than a simple replacement, and would include a six-mile highway upgrade of Minnesota Highway 36 and Wisconsin Highway 64.

Status
In 1996, the National Park Service (NPS) ordered that no federal permits be issued for the project. MNDOT opposed the NPS decision in the courts and Congress. In October 1998, the NPS, the Minnesota and Wisconsin DOTs, and the Federal Highway Administration agreed in principle and pending environmental review, to proceed with a shorter, lower-speed bridge in a slightly different alignment.

Problems with the Project

Taxpayer Concerns
A major new bridge as proposed is unneeded because the expanded I-94 bridge crosses the river only a few minutes south of the site of the proposed new bridge. Furthermore, the $120 million price tag of the proposed Stillwater Bridge is excessive considering that expanding and renovating the I-94 bridge only cost $28 million.

Local Community Concerns
The bridge is unnecessary, heavily criticized, and could hurt the local economy. According to a Minneapolis Star-Tribune editorial, "the four lane span would encourage the exporting to Wisconsin of people, tax base, jobs, and economic growth that should be kept in Minnesota."

Environmental Concerns
The project is still a major intrusion on the river since it would involve cutting into undisturbed bluffs and placing large piers in the river. The bridge would adversely affect the St. Croix River, the only river in Minnesota to be designated Wild and Scenic, and set a bad precedent for similar rivers nationwide. The NPS said that the proposed bridge would have a "direct and adverse effect on the scenic and recreational values of the…Riverway." The bridge would destroy five wetlands and 130 acres of farmland. Also, the bridge and its associated upgrade would accelerate sprawl into western Wisconsin, resulting in increased polluted runoff in the area, and negative impacts to scenery, water and wildlife habitat.

Contacts
Judy Bellairs, Minnesota Sierra Club, (612) 379-3853, judy.bellairs@sierraclub.org Elizabeth Schmiesing, Attorney, (612) 336-3484; David Hirsch, Friends of the Earth, (202) 783-7400 (x215), hirsch@foe.org .

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