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Minnesota House of Representatives

State Representative Joe Atkins

583 State Office BuildingState Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4192

For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406

Posted: 2010-01-21 00:00:00
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ATKINS, METZEN PROPOSE LIFTING SWING BRIDGE MORATORIUM A YEAR EARLY

ST. PAUL, MN – Last year, with just days to spare before the 115-year-old Rock Island Swing Bridge in Inver Grove Heights was set for destruction, Governor Pawlenty signed a two-year moratorium into law to stop the demolition. Rep. Joe Atkins and Sen. Jim Metzen are now seeking to lift that moratorium a year early.

The purpose of the two-year moratorium, which went into effect in the summer of 2009, was to give those who wanted to preserve the historic bridge an opportunity to raise the support necessary to restore the bridge. It was expected this could take two years and, even then, might not prove successful.

However, efforts to save the bridge met with such success that Atkins and Metzen, along with City of Inver Grove Heights leaders, are now seeking to lift the moratorium a year early so restoration work can begin this summer. Since the moratorium prevents anything from being done to the bridge, including the restoration, lifting the moratorium this year will allow restoration efforts to move ahead.

Successes achieved over the last year that would allow for the moratorium to be lifted early include:

• MN Dept of Transportation agreed to use money set for demolition for restoration instead
• Over $1.5 million on private and public donations and grants have been committed to the restoration
• The City of IGH agreed to take ownership of the bridge and lead the restoration efforts
• Bid prices for the work are expected to be 20-40 percent lower than originally thought

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