New Sauk Rapids Bridge

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**New Sauk Rapids Bridge**
The New Sauk Rapids Bridge as of August 18, 2006, shown from the west bank of Mississippi River, south of the bridge.
Crosses	Mississippi River, BNSF Railway
Locale	Sauk Rapids, Minnesota
Design	Plate girder bridge

The New Sauk Rapids Bridge is a bridge currently being built across the Mississippi River in the city of Sauk Rapids in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Construction began on September 26 of 2005 and the bridge is scheduled to be completed and opened in September of 2007. The new bridge is set to replace the existing Sauk Rapids Bridge located a short distance downriver which is set to be demolished in the fall of 2007.

The bridge will rely heavily on steel for its construction rather than concrete so as to reduce the number of piers needed to be placed in the river. This design choice will cost an extra $2.3 million USD. The total cost of the project is estimated at $56.63 million.

The new bridge will improve upon what is arguably a design flaw in the previous bridge by landing beyond the BNSF Railway on the east bank of the river. This will prevent traffic from being disrupted during train crossings, a frequent problem with the current bridge.

The original design of the bridge was hotly contested between Benton County and the City of Sauk Rapids, and the dispute was nearly taken to court. The county had wished that the bridge land beyond Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids' "main street", on Second Avenue and connect with Second Street North. The city feared that such a design would adversely affect businesses in the downtown area and desired instead that the bridge land on Benton Drive. Control of the project was eventually handed over to the city, and it was elected that the bridge pass over the BNSF Railway, land on Benton Drive, and connect with Second Street North.