1. Baudette, Minnesota/Rainy River, Ontario International Bridge

2. Location

3. 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

4. History
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)

5. Project Purpose
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)

6. Wooden Walkway

7. Open Steel Deck

8. Floor Beam Corrosion

9. Low Vertical Clearance

10. Project Details
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

11. 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

12. 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……

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. Project Timeline A detailed critical path schedule has been developed
Schedule shows 300 days of float given a late summer 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

17. Questions??