I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3434 

To authorize a replacement for the lift bridge in Stillwater, Minnesota with 

necessary taxpayer protection measures to promote fiscal responsibility. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 16, 2011 

Ms. MCCOLLUM (for herself and Mr. ELLISON) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To authorize a replacement for the lift bridge in Stillwater, 

Minnesota with necessary taxpayer protection measures 

to promote fiscal responsibility. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fiscally Responsible 

5 St. Croix River Crossing Authorization Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) The proposed St. Croix River Crossing 

2 Project between Minnesota and Wisconsin uses an 

3 ‘‘extradosed’’ bridge design that could cost nearly 

4 $700,000,000 and expose taxpayers to the risk of 

5 cost overruns and delays. 

6 (2) The Federal Highway Administration in its 

7 St. Croix River Crossing Cost Estimate Review stat8 ed: ‘‘The river bridge extradosed type, aesthetics, 

9 configuration and constructability are major contrib10 utors to the risk associated with the project costs.’’ 

11 (3) The most expensive bridge built in Min12 nesota to date is the Interstate 35W Bridge in 

13 downtown Minneapolis, which was constructed in 

14 2008 at a cost of $260 million and serves approxi15 mately 140,000 vehicles per day, compared to the 

16 proposed St. Croix Crossing Project that will serve 

17 an estimated 18,000 cars per day if opened on 

18 schedule in 2016. 

19 (4) Federal and state funding for bridge repair 

20 and replacement is severely limited and must be uti21 lized as efficiently as possible to meet growing needs: 

22 the State of Minnesota has 1,149 bridges listed as 

23 structurally deficient, while the State of Wisconsin 

24 has 1,142 structurally deficient bridges. 


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1 (5) It is the responsibility of Congress to up2 hold the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 

3 1271), which protects 12,598 miles of 203 rivers in 

4 38 States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 

5 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF PROJECT WITH MITIGATION 

6 MEASURES. 

7 Notwithstanding section 7(a) of the Wild and Scenic 

8 Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1278(a)) and subject to section 4 

9 of this Act, the head of an appropriate Federal agency 

10 or department may authorize and assist in the construc11 tion of a new bridge crossing for the St. Croix River, which 

12 is to be located not more than 7 miles north of the Inter13 state 94 bridge crossing, if mitigation measures deter14 mined by the Secretary of Interior are implemented to off15 set the environmental impacts identified in the September 

16 2010 evaluation and determination report prepared by the 

17 National Park Service pursuant to such section. 

18 SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON FEDERAL FUNDING. 

19 After the date of enactment of this Act, no Federal 

20 funds, including Federal highway formula funding, shall 

21 be provided for any St. Croix River bridge crossing be22 tween Minnesota and Wisconsin within 7 miles of the ex23 isting Interstate 94 Bridge with a total project cost in ex24 cess of $574,000,000. 


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1 SEC. 5. STRATEGIES FOR ACCELERATING PROJECT 

2 TIMELINE. 

3 Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit or 

4 discourage the use of ‘‘design-build’’ construction method5 ology, which some States utilize as a successful strategy 

6 for reducing construction timelines and containing project 

7 costs. 

Æ 


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