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St. Paul, Minn.

May 20, 2009 6:52 AM

Highway 61 bridge in Hastings to be replaced

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Two-lane bridge — The Hastings Bridge, the busiest two-lane highway bridge in Minnesota, will be replaced in 2010.
MPR photo/Tom Weber

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is holding a public hearing tonight on its plans to replace the Highway 61 Bridge in Hastings.

The existing bridge connecting Washington and Dakota counties was built in 1950. MnDOT plans to replace the two-lane structure next year with a four-lane bridge. The department said that even though the current bridge is safe, the proposed project will improve safety and ease congestion.

Currently about 32,000 cars cross the bridge every day. Three designs are under consideration for the new bridge: box girder twin bridges, tied arch single bridge and a cable single bridge. An environmental impact assessment for the plans is available for public viewing in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Cottage Grove, Hastings and Prescott, Wisconsin.

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Two-lane bridge — The Hastings Bridge, the busiest two-lane highway bridge in Minnesota, will be replaced in 2010.
MPR photo/Tom Weber

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