A federal judge denied C.S. McCrossan’s request to stop roadwork of the St. Croix River Crossing while the courts determine whether or not MnDOT illegally rejected its bid to construct the approach work for the $626 million project. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Kyle put the federal case on hold until a separate lawsuit in the Minnesota Court of Appeals is resolved. “Of course, we’re extremely disappointed with the decision,” Tom McCrossan, president of the Maple Grove-based company, told the Star Tribune. “The reason we’re pursuing this is solely to prevent the wasteful expenditure of …

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) responded this week to a lawsuit filed in federal court late last month by Maple Grove-based C.S. McCrossan alleging that MnDOT and its commissioner illegally rejected its bid to construct the approach work for the St. Croix River Crossing.  MnDOT officials argued Tuesday in statements and a submitted memorandum that the lawsuit could cost the project more thna $6 million if it is subjected to a 180-day delay as suggested by the suit, and that the suit has "no merit" according to a state department spokesperson.  Court documents were in …

Work on the St. Croix Crossing has begun, MnDOT announced Monday, with crews building a construction staging area on the Minnesota banks of the St. Croix River. The current work includes: Building dock walls to support equipment access for construction of bridge foundations Installing steel sheet panels to provide docking facilities for barges Work scheduled for early May: Clearing property adjacent to Highway 95 in Oak Park Heights Noticeably missing from MnDOT’s list of current work, and work scheduled for early May, is the road work on Highway 36. Last week, C.S. McCrossan filed a federal …

C.S. McCrossan filed a federal lawsuit against the Minnesota Department of Transportation on Monday in U.S. District Court alleging that MnDOT and its commissioner illegally rejected its bid to construct the approach work for the St. Croix River Crossing. C.S. McCrossan is seeking an “immediate injunction to halt further work while the courts determine if the department acted properly in awarding the bid to a company with a lower technical score and price tag that was $6 million greater than the McCrossan bid,” according to a news release the company issued Monday afternoon. Click here to …

It was one year ago Thursday when President Barack Obama signed legislation into law exempting the St. Croix River Crossing Project from the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. His signature allowed plans for constructing the St. Croix River Crossing to move forward. Check out this photo Micheal Foley took of a crew drilling along 35 and taking samples for construction of the new river crossing. Sixth District Congresswoman Michele Bachmann released the following statement today: “One year ago, one of the longest unfinished bridge projects in the history of the United States began to come to a close…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued the Minnesota Department of Transportation the permits needed to complete construction of the new St. Croix River Crossing. The Corps’ permit includes two authorizations under the Rivers and Harbors Act’s Section 10 and the Clean Water Act’s Section 404. Both authorizations were required due to the construction involving work within the St. Croix River. Now that the application has been approved, MnDOT can start the bid-letting process for construction work. The permits authorize MnDOT to construct: Bridge support piers in the St. Croix River and …

The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced today that Maple Grove-based, C.S. McCrossan, will lead the reconstruction and realignment of Highway 36—also known as the first phase of the St. Croix Crossing project.  “We want to thank the cities, counties and all stakeholders who were instrumental in the success of the project development phase of the St. Croix Crossing," St. Croix Crossing Project Director Jon Chiglo said in a news release. "As we enter the implementation phase and look forward to construction beginning on Highway 36 in early spring, we will continue to work together …

The Oak Park Heights City Council on a 3-2 vote Tuesday night decided to contribute $3,000 from city coffers to the Coalition for the St. Croix River Crossing. Council members Mike Runk and Les Abrahamson dissented. “I don’t see what exactly the purpose is, because basically all that is mentioned is a possible lawsuit and the funding is not permissible for use in that,” Runk said. The Coalition facilitates a lot of the communications between MnDOT, businesses and various governmental agencies, Council Member Chuck Dougherty said. “I have no problem with that,” Runk replied. “But when we had …

Roadwork for the St. Croix River Crossing Project will begin in April, according to MnDOT’s Project Manager Jon Chiglo. Work on the project—building highways and bridge approaches on the Minnesota and Wisconsin sides of the St. Croix River—will include rebuilding frontage roads on both sides of Highway 36 in Oak Park Heights and Stillwater, Chiglo told the Washington County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday. Construction on that portion of the project is expected to be complete in fall of 2014. RELATED: What's on Tap for the St. Croix River Crossing Project in 2013 The highways will always …

The Oak Park City Council tabled a request from the Coalition for the St. Croix River Crossing to contribute $3,000 out of city funds to “help keep the (bridge) project on schedule.” There are a few different options to fund the request, if the council so chooses, City Administrator Eric Johnson said. "I just don't want to go down the path Stillwater did that got them into trouble a while back," Council Member Mark Swenson said. "I would like staff and legal to look at it and give us an official recommendation. I support this, but I would like them to tell me we have the authority to support …

The Stillwater Lift Bridge opened Friday afternoon, thanks to favorable weather conditions this week. The Stillwater Lift Bridge rehabilitation project began July 9. The bridge itself has been closed to traffic since Sept. 10. Due to nice weather, electrical crews were able to get the final portion of the project completed ahead of schedule. The project focused on repairing steel connections, replacing and repairing mechanical and electrical components, repairing concrete surfaces, repairing floor beams, painting portions of the bridge and replacing guardrail, curb and gutter. Related: When …

The Shoddy Mill and Warehouse has a new home in Stillwater. Crews on Wednesday night/Thursday morning, moved the two buildings from Oak Park Heights to their permanent location across from the River Oasis Cafe on the St. Croix riverbank. The buildings are now owned by the city of Stillwater and will be renovated and used as part of the proposed loop trail in Stillwater. The move cost $1.2 million. The buildings were constructed in 1890 and owned by Moritz and Bertha (Gardner) Bergstein. Inside these buildings, workers made shoddy, a woolen yarn made from used clothing. The shoddy was then …

The Stillwater Lift Bridge is on track to reopen in a few weeks. MnDOT on Monday announced that the $3.4 million rehabilitation project that closed the Lift Bridge to motor vehicles on Sept. 10 may reopen by the end of the first week of December, weather permitting. UPDATED: Lift Bridge Closure to Ease Traffic in Stillwater, Congest Hudson Open House to Discuss Stillwater Lift Bridge Closure is Feb. 22 Stillwater Lift Bridge Rehab Project Starts July 9, Full Closure Sept. 10 Stillwater Lift Bridge to Close Sept. 10; Enter 'Townie Tuesdays' Crews are about 70 percent finished with the project…

The work to make sure the St. Croix River Crossing Project becomes a reality is far from over. Funding for the $690 million project is in place, the right-of-way issues have been resolved and an exemption from the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was granted by the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives and President Barack Obama—but there are still opponents to the project, and permits that need to be issued. Oak Park Heights Mayor David Beaudet, in a letter written on city stationary and sent to the Minnesota DNR on Sept. 14, states that the water works permit MnDOT has applied for is incomplete …

The Stillwater City Council on Tuesday night voted to pay the Coalition for the St. Croix River Crossing $10,000 from the general fund budget. The last time the City Council attempted to fund the Coalition to the tune of $80,000 from tax increment funding, the state auditor stepped in and ruled the city illegally appropriated money to the bridge advocacy group. The problems the city faced last time was the use of TIF funds, which is not permitted, City Attorney Dave Magnuson said. The second issue was that the city did not have a written contract with the Coalition for lobbying services. …

Washington County will continue its support of the Coalition for the St. Croix River Crossing to the tune of $15,000. The Washington County Board on Tuesday appropriated $15,000 from the general fund to support the nonprofit organization as the St. Croix River Crossing Project moves forward. State law authorizes counties to spend money from the general fund to pay incorporated development societies or organizations of Minnesota to promote and advertise the economic and agricultural resources of the county. The mission of the Coalition for the St. Croix River Crossing is to educate residents …

The Lift Bridge is closed. The traffic congestion is gone. It’s “Townie Tuesday” in downtown Stillwater. Townie Tuesdays, a three-month “get reacquainted with downtown Stillwater” promotion, kicks off tonight, Sept. 11, and runs every Tuesday through December. That means participating downtown merchants will remain open until 8 pm. and offer “Townie Tuesdays Specials” to workers and residents living in zip codes 55082, 55003 and 55042. The City of Stillwater will offer free parking at downtown lots and city ramp on Sept. 11. “This is the perfect opportunity for downtown businesses and area …

This is a big week for the St. Croix River Crossing Project. The Oak Park Heights City Council has two meetings this week—including a vote that could keep the project on track, or delay it for another year. At the heart of the issue is the ongoing dispute between the city and MnDOT regarding municipal consent and city utilities. Aug. 29 is the deadline for the council to decide if the construction plans submitted by MnDOT on July 2 are in accordance with the layout approved by the city in 1995. The city can decide to reject the plan, request a panel to determine if there is any significant …

The Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce unveiled a new face for the St. Croix Crossing project at this week’s bridge construction open house for area businesses. “Channel Cat,” a friendly St. Croix River catfish, hopes to become the area’s smiling personality for the five-year construction project. The Chamber created Channel Cat while working with MnDOT and WisDOT officials on communication strategies for businesses affected by the construction activities that are set to begin next spring, a news release from the Chamber states. As the project’s primary contracting agency, MnDOT utilizes …