Note also the backlit exit signs. Cedar Street bridge, with a sheltered pedestrian walkway on each side. Sheltered, that is, unless the wind is blowing from the northeast, in which case it's a wind tunnel. Then, the bridge is raised at regular intervals to let larger watercraft under the bridge. The new bridge would angle across the river northeastward to the Wisconsin shore.
Environmentalists are outraged at the plan.
The St. Croix River is a National Wild and Scenic River, though during the summer one could almost walk between the pleasure craft from shore to shore. They argue the bridge would irreparably damage the river. And, the National Park Service waded into the fray by refusing to grant approval for the crossing, even though the environmental review process has been going on for 10 years. Thousands of recreational boats don't damage the river, but a well-designed, aesthetically pleasing bridge would. Another argument is that the bridge would contribute to urban sprawl by encouraging development of housing develoments in western Wisconsin to serve families working in the Twin Cities.