Stillwater Lift Bridge To Close For Testing, Maintenance

STILLWATER, MN — Highway 36/64 motorists crossing the Stillwater Lift Bridge in downtown Stillwater may encounter delays Friday during testing and maintenance of the bridge. Minnesota Department of Transportation maintenance crews will be lifting the bridge and checking its operation every half hour between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. After that, lifts will be made every hour until 2 p.m.

During the testing, workers will grease the cables that lift the bridge, operate the main and auxiliary backup motors and test the gate arms along with other electrical components. If all goes as expected, the testing could be complete before 2 p.m., according to a news release.

The bridge lift schedule is tentatively scheduled to resume on Wednesday, May 3 depending on any flooding or colder temperatures. However with warmer weather approaching, boaters will soon be able to request the bridge to lift with a 24-hour notice.

More information will be released when the 24 hour lift notice goes into effect. Additional information will be sent out when the lift bridge season begins.

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