First new highway segment of St. Croix bridge project opens

An area that was once the abandoned "ghost" neighborhood of Oak Park Heights, after months of tree removal and excavation, is beginning to offer hints of what motorists will see when the new St. Croix River bridge opens in late 2016. This view from the new Beach Road overpass, looking east toward the river, shows the new portion of Hwy. 36 that for the time being carries two-way traffic. The new road, which opened last week, will become an eastbound exit ramp to a new portion of Hwy. 95, which also opened last week. The main Hwy. 36 lanes that connect with the bridge will be constructed through the area where massive piles of earth now stand. Meanwhile, the old westbound lanes of Hwy. 36 between Hwy. 95 and Osgood Avenue were being removed last week. A map of the entire bridge project that shows how approach highways will be configured in Oak Park Heights is available at www.dot.state.mn.us/stcroixcrossing/pdf/projectmap.pdf.

Kevin Giles