Minnesota Department of Transportation officials in Rochester said their meeting with the Federal Highway Administration in the Twin Cities this week, on the Winona Highway 43 bridge project, was both productive and positive.
                  
Spokesperson Kristen Kammueller said that while no new information can be released at this time, the subject of a second bridge across the Mississippi River was discussed.  Kammueller said the next step in the process is to meet with stakeholders in the bridge project to discuss the findings at Monday's meeting, and then a public meeting will be scheduled, but no timeline was given.

Last week Project Manager Jai Kalsy told Winona Radio News the study on rehabilitating the current bridge is nearing completion. Discussions are now also including the possibility of constructing a second new two-lane bridge across the river.  The project is still scheduled to start in 2014.