St. Croix Bridge On Track For 2016 Completion

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's been just over a year since construction started on the St. Croix Bridge.

All of the underwater work is complete on the $600 million-plus project that will connect Oak Park Heights, Minn. and St. Joseph, Wis.

Jon Chiglo is the project manager.

"I look at budgets, I look at schedules, I look at quality," Chiglo said.

The underground pieces are in place as of December. But as you may remember, it wasn't an easy winter.

"They continuously ran a tugboat 24 hours a day, seven days a week to keep that channel open, and keep that slush from forming a solid sheet of ice," he said.

Chiglo says, as expected, that halted things for the winter. Now they are building up the five sets of piers that will make two states continuous. Two of the pier sets are in Wisconsin, and the most completed ones in Minnesota.

Chiglo says the current high waters that are growing the river are doable.

"Unless we get weeks and weeks of continuous rain, I think we'll be just fine," he said.

By fall 2016, drivers should expect shortened commutes and shrinking traffic.

"After next summer, you'll be able to see the bridge very clearly," he said.

Click here to view a live camera on the construction site.

And if you want to see the bridge construction in person, boat rides are available to the public. Click here for more information.