The Lift Bridge Is a Weekend Bridge This Winter

Until mid-May 2027, the Stillwater Lift Bridge you know from summer walks opens all the way only on Saturdays and Sundays. On weekdays, crews fence off the old driving surface from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and walkers share the narrow south sidewalk. So the best version of the river loop now happens on weekends. That works out well, because Main Street's late-fall and holiday calendar runs on weekends too.

What changed on October 19 and 20

There were two changes in two days. MnDOT's 2026 lift schedule ended at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Until spring, the span stays down unless a boater calls MnDOT at 651-234-7110 at least 24 hours ahead to request a lift. The day before that, on Monday, Oct. 19, a maintenance project started that will shape every walk across the bridge until spring.

Here's how a crossing works now, based on MnDOT's Stillwater Lift Bridge page and the Pioneer Press report from Oct. 15:

MnDOT says the fence stays up for the whole project. It keeps people out of the work area during the week, and the deck reopens on weekends. The south sidewalk stays open at all times, so a weekday crossing is always possible. It's just single file instead of the wide-open deck from summer.

Why the bridge is getting a winter of work

MnDOT describes the bridge's festoon electrical cable as "problematic." That cable powers the motor that lifts the span, and the project replaces both the cable and the drive motor. Crews are also replacing steel platforms, ladders and railings. MnDOT spokesman Kent Barnard told the Pioneer Press the project costs $2.4 million and should be done by mid-May.

The lift machinery has had trouble before. In June 2013, the Star Tribune reported that a cable snapped as the bridge was being lowered. Larger boats couldn't get through for a while, though the bridge stayed open to cars. A few days later, the Star Tribune followed up: a bridge operator had found a frayed lift-system cable, the regular lift schedule was suspended, and a short closure to car traffic was planned for repairs.

The timing makes sense. The U.S. Coast Guard sets the regular lift schedule from May 15 to Oct. 15 each year. Doing the heavy work over the winter, when lifts are rare, should leave the bridge ready close to the start of next boating season.

The bridge itself dates to 1931. MnDOT converted it to bike and pedestrian use in 2020. This will be its first winter as a construction site since then.

The loop still works on a Tuesday, just narrower

The St. Croix River Crossing Loop Trail is a 4.7-mile circuit. It crosses the river twice, once on the Lift Bridge and once on the St. Croix Crossing at Oak Park Heights. The trail is jointly owned by Stillwater, Oak Park Heights and the Town of St. Joseph, Wisconsin, and all of its segments opened in May 2020. According to the Town of St. Joseph's trail page, the Wisconsin side is where most of the trail's features are:

• The St. Croix County trailhead, on Houlton School Circle and Haggerty Street in Houlton, with parking lots
• Ten interpretive panels spread along the route
• The Lake St. Croix Overlook
• The St. Croix Valley Art Bench
• Houlton Hawk Landing

Where you start changes your walk this winter. If you start in Houlton and go clockwise toward the Lift Bridge, the narrow sidewalk comes at the end, when you're heading back toward town. If you start in downtown Stillwater, you're on the Lift Bridge in the first few minutes. That's fine on a weekend, but on a weekday it means starting single file on the south sidewalk. Lowell Park, at 201 Water St., has walking paths and sits right by the bridge's Minnesota end.

Downtown parking runs on three tiers, according to the city's parking page:

1. Free 90-minute parking on Main Street
2. Free four-hour parking on streets and in public lots west of Main
3. Paid public lots east of Main along the river, at $1 an hour from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The full loop plus a stop for food downtown can take longer than 90 minutes, so the four-hour lots west of Main or the paid riverfront lots fit a loop walk better than a Main Street space.

Downtown's calendar lands on the same weekends

The weekend-only deck lines up neatly with downtown's schedule. The events below all come from organizer listings. Wherever an event falls on a Saturday or Sunday, you can pair it with a walk across the full, open bridge deck.

Twinkle Weekend is the clearest fit for this winter. The tree lighting and fireworks over the river happen on Saturday evening, Dec. 5, when the full bridge deck is open. The Luminary Thursdays are a different kind of walk. They're on weekdays, so the luminaries along Main Street are the main event and the south sidewalk is your route across the river.

Hometown for the Holidays raises money for Community Thread's Holiday Hope program. The organization says the full event schedule is still to come, with updates posted to its Hometown for the Holidays page and Facebook page. Specific times for each weekend should firm up there before Thanksgiving.

Two newer stops for before or after the walk

Two food stops on the Minnesota side have opened since last winter. E's Gourmet Sandwiches opened May 6 at 221 Myrtle St. E, a short walk up from the riverfront. Bring Me The News reported that founder Ethan Sorensen, a first-time restaurateur, offers sandwiches, burgers and wraps for dine-in or grab-and-go. Grab-and-go works well when you're heading out to walk on a cold Saturday.

A bit farther out, Sara Hayden moved Sara's Tipsy Pies into Brine's Market & Deli at 1790 Washington Ave. The Star Tribune reported that it reopened as Sara's Bake Shop on July 13, with Hayden as bakery manager. It's a stop on the drive into downtown, so you can pick up something to bring along before you park.

What's waiting on the other side of May

MnDOT expects to finish the bridge work by mid-May 2027. That's also when the regular lift season normally starts again. Next spring, the riverfront should also get its newest public space. The city plans to open Lumberjack Landing, at 1513 Main St. N, in spring 2027. It's a 15-acre riverfront park with river access, accessible fishing, kayak and canoe launches, picnic space, trails, and a renovation of the Aiple House. Work is already underway. On March 3, 2026, the city awarded Miller Excavating a $506,861.20 contract to stabilize the riverbank there. The city's project page is the place to watch for opening dates as spring gets closer.

If you'd like to talk about life along the St. Croix this winter, or about homes within an easy walk of the Lift Bridge and the loop trail, I'd love to hear from you. Bailey Sivanich is here whenever you're ready. Let's Connect.