On Friday morning at 9 a.m., the Lift Bridge in Stillwater closed in anticipation to the rising St. Croix River.
According to the National Weather Service, the river will crest for a second time at approximately 688 feet this Tuesday.
The first crest of the St. Croix River occurred in March.
In response to this flooding Gov. Mark Dayton plans to visit the site and observe flood levels Friday afternoon, Fox 9 News reported.
In addition to speaking with Stillwater Mayor Ken Harycki for a briefing on the situation, he will also meet with the executive council to discuss extending the flood emergency originally declared on April 6.
According to MinnPost, Dayton came to Stillwater last month in support of a new bridge south of Stillwater, but the project was scraped due to environmental issues.
However, the need to close the Lift Bridge may support the new entity that would connect to Hwy. 36 in Oak Park Heights.
Congresswomen Michele Bachmann is also in support of the bridge for safety and developmental reason, MinnPost reported.
In the mean time, traffic managers told the Star Tribune that they suggest motorists who usually cross the Lift Bridge use the Interstate 94 Bridge instead, connecting the east metro with Hudson, Wis.
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