St. Croix EDC: Governor Walker signs bill removing roadblock on river crossing project

Contact: Bill Rubin/Jacki Bradham, St. Croix EDC, 715-381-4383 or jacki@stcroixedc.com

SB 26 Eliminates Receipt of Funding Prior to State Bonding

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed SB 26 into law on Friday, June 24th at The Valley House (Town of St. Joseph, St. Croix County).

SB 26 has passed through the State Senate and Assembly a few weeks earlier. State Senator Sheila Harsdorf (River Falls, Wisconsin) sponsored the bill, and Representative Dean Knudson, (Hudson) Erik Severson (Star Prairie), and John Murtha (Baldwin) were co-sponsors. All four represent St. Croix County.

The bill eliminates an important restriction that impacts major interstate bridge projects like the St. Croix River Crossing. In 2009, the state legislature created bonding authority (borrowing) of up to $225 million for bridge projects that connect two states. Before bonding authority could occur, the legislature required that the state receive up to $75 million in federal funding. The U.S. Congress has steered away from earmarks on specific projects in recent years, making the federal funding requirement all that more difficult.

SB 26 does not eliminate federal funding. On a project like the St. Croix River Crossing, funding will come from both Wisconsin, and Minnesota, and the federal government. Most major infrastructure projects are identified in national transportation bills that are enacted every five or six years.

“The St. Croix River Crossing Project is vitally important to continue the uninterrupted flow of goods and services to and through Wisconsin,” Governor Walker said. “By removing unnecessary red tape we are ensuring that this project moves forward. I thank the full Legislature for their bipartisan support and thank Senator Sheila Harsdorf and Representatives Murtha, Severson, and Knudson for their leadership on this issue.”

“A new bridge over the St. Croix River is a regional priority for west central Wisconsin as well as the Twin Cities,” said William Rubin, Executive director of St. Croix Economic Development Corporation (EDC). “The signing of SB 26 into law removes the last obstacle at the state or local level, and now our focus turns to Washington, D.C.”

A new bridge over the St. Croix River between Houlton, Wisconsin (Town of St. Joseph, St. Croix County) and Stillwater-Oak Park Heights, Minnesota (Washington County) was first proposed in the 1970s. The project’s current design and location are products of a three year mediated process that involved almost 30 state, federal, and local agencies, units of government, and organizations. The recommendations from the stakeholders led to a Record of Decision by the Federal Highway Administration in November 2006. It was challenged in a lawsuit, and last October the National Park Service outline a process that allows for Congress to grant an exemption to allow the project to move forward. Federal legislation has bipartisan support from the U.S. Senators and Representative from Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Both governors and transportation secretaries support the federal exemption process. In early June, Governor Walker sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. In part, the letter read, “Wisconsin fully supports this project and requests your assistance in moving forward. I have spoken with Governor Mark Dayton of Minnesota who assured me that he supports the project as well. Both congressional action and the Administration’s support are needed to make the St. Croix River Crossing project a reality. We respectfully request your support of these congressional efforts to address this nationally significant transportation project.”

Earlier this year, a 2-state river crossing advocacy group was established. It is called the Coalition for the St. Croix River Crossing. The coalition is led by co-chairs John Soderberg, a community banker from New Richmond, Wisconsin (St. Croix County) and Mayor Ken Harycki of Stillwater, Minnesota. Supporters can learn more about the project and coalition at http://www.stcroixcrossing.org.