Prescott Drawbridge

Prescott Drawbridge is a steel structure crossing the St. Croix River between Wisconsin and Minnesota, distributing traffic across four lanes. The bridge operates as a movable lift bridge and is part of a dual crossing system that also includes a railway bridge alongside it.

An earlier bridge built in 1922 originally served this crossing as a toll facility until it was replaced in 1990 by the current structure. This replacement marked a major upgrade to the region's transportation infrastructure.

The bridge represents a significant infrastructure development in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area, being the only operational highway drawbridge.

The bridge supports U.S. Route 10 and experiences steady daily traffic, serving as a key connection between the two states. Keep in mind that it is an active transportation corridor and passage may be affected when the bridge lifts for river traffic.

What makes this crossing distinctive is the side-by-side operation of two separate bridge systems designed for different purposes at the exact same riverbed location. This arrangement shows how different transportation modes can coexist and solve the same obstacle in parallel.

Location: Prescott

Location: Denmark Township

Inception: 1990

Official opening: 1990

GPS coordinates: 44.74890,-92.80470

Latest update: December 14, 2025 13:08