St. Croix Bridge Construction Reaches Halfway Point
COTTAGE GROVE, Minn. (WCCO) -- A milestone has been reached on the St. Croix Crossing bridge. The $600 million project has reached the halfway point.
Come fall 2016, the bridge will connect Oak Park Heights and St. Joseph, Wisconsin.
The latest piece of the project is shaping up at the Grey Cloud Casting Yard, a few dozen miles away in Cottage Grove.
The 50-degree climate controlled casting yard is using steel, cables and plastic to makes segments that will be part of the roadway.
"Typically it's 250-300 man hours to construct one of these segments," said Paul Kivisto, the bridge construction engineer. "The very top of the segment will be the driving surface of the bridge deck."
Each of the segments is about 18 feet high and they weigh about the same as 25 elephants. So, moving 650 of the segments will require some heavy lifting.
"They will be barged down the Mississippi River and then up the St. Croix River, a trip of about 30 miles," Kivisto said.
And the Grey Cloud Casting Yard riverside transport is expected to start in May. It's melt dependent.
"Yes, if ice comes off the river earlier, we would be able to ship a little bit earlier," Kivisto said.
As of now, things are right on schedule.
Most of the segments should be in place by the end of 2015. The final months of construction will be for light installation and railing.
You can keep tabs on the live site camera here.
