New Hastings Bridge To Be Dedicated
HASTINGS, Minn. (AP) — After construction that took more than three years, local, state and federal officials are getting ready to dedicate the brand new, $130 million Hastings Bridge over the Mississippi River.
The dedication ceremony is Friday morning in the southeastern Minnesota town. Officials including Sen. Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Rep. John Kline, state Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle, state lawmakers and local officials are scheduled to attend. A program at Hastings City Hall is to be followed by a ribbon-cutting at the bridge.
The state says more than 30,000 vehicles a day use the four-lane bridge, which carries U.S. Highway 61 over the river. The old bridge had not been scheduled for replacement until 2018, but the project was quickly advanced after the 2007 Minneapolis bridge collapse brought new attention to deteriorating bridges.
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