Post in Bridge relocation

Jun 24 20:11 UTC

Actually, Paul...I believe (and fervently hope) that MnDOT's job is to
facilitate the movement of people and goods and services, not cars and
trucks.  That may seem like splitting hairs given our current reliance on
cars and trucks, but the fact that surfaced recently that the state doesn't
even consider ferry service a form of transit...it reminds me of how much we
take for granted that our roads and bridges will always look like they do
today.  I thnk that would be a mistake.

I think MnDOT will try to build the cheapest bridge they can and be done
with it.  This community, however, may well live with the new bridge for a
century.  We have to fight for the best solution for us.  Something that
comes to mind as we think about a new bridge downtown is that it will be
much more pedestrian and bicycle friendly there than on Pelzer or Mankato.
We are hoping for an increase in bike tourism via the new Wisconsin trail
connection to Latsch Island...just think if we had a 15 foot bike lane
instead of that agoraphobic (yet arguably simultaneously claustrohobic)
nightmare of a sidewalk on the existing bridge?  Build it and they will
come?  I don't know but cycling is a growing tourism sector and we've got
the country (and the river) to take advantage of it.  Such a feature could
also accomodate mobility scooters, segways...who knows what the big thing
will be in 2035...but it would be great if the bridge was flexible and
multipurpose since it will still be the only one we have.

That bike pedestrian lane could peel off into Levee Park, even.  It's not
all just about cost and eminent domain.  We need a bridge that will work for
the city...a simple new straight shot bridge doesn't cut it for me.  With
this project we could remove ALL through truck traffic from downtown...can
you imagine what that would mean?  It's not like MnDOT overspends in
Winona...and more than most cities Winona is fracture critical...if our
bridge breaks the rest of the community goes down with it...we've learned
that first hand.

Bob Sebo