Baudette, Minnesota/Rainy River, Ontario International

Bridge

Location

Location US and Canadian Customs

facilities are at each end of the bridge approach

Alignment on US side made challenging by US Customs equipment, City park, substation and archeological sites

Alignment on Canadian side expected to be less affected by Customs location, but archeological and other issues may still exist

This bridge provides access to Baudette, Minnesota and Rainy River, Ontario, a connection between the United States and Canada as well as a full-service, 24-hour Port of Entry

Originally built in 1959 by the Cities of Baudette, MN and Rainy River, ON

The bridge has a total length of 1,285 feet and accomodates a 2-lane roadway with a width of 24 feet and an open grate steel deck

Operated locally as a toll bridge until 1988, when ownership was taken over by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and the Ministry of Transportation, Ontario (MTO)

History

The current project was initiated to address structural issues and the long-term need to continue providing a safe and reliable river crossing at this location

The bridge is classified as fracture critical (non redundant)

Project Purpose

Wooden Walkway

Open Steel Deck

Floor Beam Corrosion

Low Vertical Clearance

Bridge was found ineligible for inclusion on the Ontario Heritage Bridge List

MTO provided a position paper to the MnDOT stating MTO does not consider rehabilitation viable

Project Details

Bridge is eligible for the National Register of Historical Places in the United States

MnDOT is nearly complete with its rehabilitation study

Next steps will be to work through Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and likely Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act

Project Details

In the meantime, concurrent work has begun looking at replacement

Initial discussions were focused on developing project separately

This approach potentially solved some of the bureaucratic concerns, but it created others……

Project Details

Current approach is to have MnDOT lead (with close coordination with MTO) the environmental documentation, preliminary design, structure type study and early stakeholder coordination of the project

Work is underway to develop a cost-sharing agreement

Consultant will be required to either have offices in both the US and Canada, or at least partnering with approved firms on both sides of the border

Handling of detail design and construction will be decided in the future

Project Details

Presidential Permit not required◦ Congressional Authorized Bridge under International

Bridge Act of 1972◦ Existing owners of congressional authorized bridges

may replace, repair or expand their existing bridges without further State Department approval

Early consultant effort ongoing◦ Compile agency stakeholder list with contact

information◦ Compile list of permits/approvals needed◦ Anticipated duration for obtaining permits/approvals◦ Comparison of design standards/requirements between

MnDOT and MTO

Project Details

Potential Agency Stakeholders: MN SHPO MN DNR USACE FHWA US Customs US State Department US Coast Guard GSA Ontario Ministry of the Environment Department of Fisheries and Oceans Division of Water Quality Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources First Nations Transport Canada, Navigable Waters Canadian Border Service Agency

Project Details

A detailed critical path schedule has been developed

Schedule shows 300 days of float given a late summer 2013 consultant notice to proceed and letting date of November 2017

Project needs to be let no later than April 2018 to take advantage of Minnesota bonding dollars

Current schedule only includes MnDOT processes

Need to allow procurement time for detail design consultant

Project Timeline

Questions??