Stillwater Lift Bridge To Close Friday
STILLWATER, Minn. (WCCO) -- Spring flooding will force the Stillwater Lift Bridge to close to traffic this Friday.
Washington County officials said if current weather predictions hold true, the bridge will close at about 9 a.m. on April 8.
Though the St. Croix River has crested once already, the warming temperatures have officials concerned the second crest may be higher.
WCCO's Bruce Hagevik Interviews John Gannaway
Podcast
"What I've been told, the reason they close it is there's a lot of electrical cabling and things like that," said John Gannaway, Stillwater Police Chief.
Gannaway says Stillwater is "armoring" the existing temporary levee.
"We used sentence to serve folks along with our public works people. They've been working their tails off for the last 24 hours," he said.
Closing the bridge will affect commuters traveling between Minnesota and Wisconsin. The suggested alternates are Highway 243, south of Taylors Falls, or Interstate 94 in Lakeland.
Washington County said the river should reach flood stage near 87.70 feet by Monday.
The county is also monitoring the possibility that the Mississippi River at Hastings will crest a second time, also higher than the first crest's levels.
