Court overrules USNPS approval of proposed bridge at St. Croix NSR
STILLWATER, Minn. -- A federal court ruling issued Thursday blocked plans to build a new bridge over the St. Croix River, just a mile south of the Stillwater lift bridge.
Construction was set to begin in 2013, but that seems unlikely after a judge sided with the Sierra Club, which feels a new four-lane bridge would ruin the scenic river way.
"We're used to disappointment on this project," said Stillwater mayor Ken Harycki. "The unfortunate thing is the taxpayer really loses out on this because every year we delay, the cost just keeps escalating."
In a 93-page ruling, Judge Michael Davis found it was "arbitrary" the National Park Service approved the new bridge because in 1996, the NPS thought a similar project would cause a "dramatic and disruptive" visual impact.
Sierra Club applauded the decision, saying it supports a new bridge but has problems with the size of the one being proposed.