ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Back-to-back meetings will provide Wisconsin and Minnesota residents an update on a long-planned St. Croix River bridge project.

Public information meetings are scheduled for Wednesday evening in Houlton, Wis., and Thursday evening in Oak Park Heights, Minn. They're the next steps in developing design and construction plans for a new bridge intended to reduce traffic on the historic Stillwater lift bridge.

Construction could begin in 2013 and is expected to take a few years. Cost estimates for the proposed bridge and related work on either end are approaching $670 million.

Officials have been considering whether and how to build a replacement bridge in the area since the early 1970s. Finances and environmental concerns have long been stumbling blocks.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation News Release:

Public meetings Nov. 4 and 5 for St. Croix River Crossing Project
October 16, 2009

The Wisconsin and Minnesota Departments of Transportation (WisDOT and MnDOT) will host two separate public information meetings in November with the goal of updating the public on the St. Croix River Crossing project.

Both meetings will follow the same format, with an open house between 5 - 7 p.m. MnDOT, WisDOT and consultant staff will be on hand to address questions and share information about the status of the project. Comment cards will also be provided for attendees to submit written statements. No formal presentations will be given.

Wisconsin open house
Wednesday, Nov. 4
5 - 7 p.m.
Houlton Elementary School
70 County Road E
Houlton, Wisconsin

Minnesota open house
Thursday, Nov. 5
5 - 7 p.m.
Stillwater Area High School
5701 Stillwater Blvd North
Stillwater, Minnesota

The meeting sites are handicapped accessible. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may request an interpreter by calling MnDOT at (651) 582-1176 or WisDOT (TDD) at 711.

Next steps for the project include the development of the bridge design and construction criteria used for the basis of the 2013 construction contract to build the St Croix River Crossing. To accomplish this, the project team will be performing technical studies to analyze the bridge depicted in the Visual Quality Manual, examining the constructability of the structure and developing detailed construction cost estimates. Results of these studies will be shared at the open houses.

Additional information about the project is available from Amber Blanchard, MnDOT, (651) 366-4529; Todd Clarkowski, MnDOT, (651) 234-7714; and Paul Conlin, WisDOT, (715) 833-5364. Also, information regarding the St. Croix River Crossing is available at the project Web site (you can find the link below).