Stillwater city plows will clear snow on Wisconsin side of Loop Trail

Mary Divine, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
·1 min read

Nov. 27—This winter, for the first time, the Loop Trail connecting the new St. Croix River bridge and the Stillwater Lift Bridge will be plowed on the Wisconsin side of the river.

Officials in St. Croix County, Wis., and Stillwater reached an agreement last week for Stillwater public works crews to plow and maintain the trail in Wisconsin after a snowfall measuring more than 1-2 inches, said Shawn Sanders, director of public works.

St. Croix County will pay the city $200 each time the crews plow; Sanders estimates that the city could end up plowing the trail about 25 times.

"It's good for everybody, especially bikers and pedestrians," Sanders said. "Now you're getting a Loop Trail plowed, so it can be used in its entirety."

St. Croix County officials asked Stillwater officials to consider plowing both sides of the river, Sanders said, since they "don't have equipment and staffing to do it." The city and the county entered into a one-year agreement, he said.

The 4.7-mile Loop Trail is a bicycle and walking trail that connects Minnesota and Wisconsin via the Stillwater Lift Bridge and the new bridge.