Contact: Mike Dougherty
MnDOT District 6 public engagement, communications
Cell: 507-251-2749
Email: michael.dougherty@state.mn.us
New Red Wing Bridge opens to traffic Friday, demolition of old bridge scheduled to begin Nov. 25
RED WING, Minn. — Vehicles began traveling on the new Hwy 63 Eisenhower Bridge of Valor in Red Wing on Friday afternoon, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Construction work continues on the new bridge and is scheduled to continue into 2020 to finish elements of the project. Demolition of the old bridge is scheduled to begin on Nov. 25 and will continue through the winter as crews dismantle it.
A community ceremony was held on Thursday afternoon at the bridge to celebrate the milestone of having traffic traveling on the new bridge.
“Congratulations to Red Wing on the opening of the new Highway 63 Bridge,” said Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. “Bridges connect communities and commerce. This critical infrastructure project not only increases motorist safety as they commute, but also emphasizes the important economic relationship between Minnesota and Wisconsin.”
A larger community celebration is being planned in late summer of 2020 in Red Wing to mark the project completion and dedication of the new bridge.
Construction work is scheduled to continue on the new bridge into 2020 including lighting and bridge aesthetics, as well as work on the pedestrian and bicycle path. Other work on the project in 2020 will include completion of the connecting roads on the Wisconsin side, removal of road that connected to the 1960 bridge, and removal of a small temporary bridge over Hwy 61. Zenith Tech, Inc., of Waukesha, Wis., is the prime contractor.
The $63.4 million Hwy 63 bridge construction project includes building a new bridge to replace the Hwy 63 bridge, replacing the slip ramp over Hwy 61, reconstructing approach roadways in Minnesota and Wisconsin, improving access to Red Wing and upgrading pedestrian and bicyclist crossings.
Learn more or sign up for email updates at MnDOT’s project website or follow the Facebook project page. For real-time traffic information in Minnesota, call 511 or visit www.511mn.org.