DOT commits to rehab of Sturgeon Bay bridge A second downtown bridge may come later For The News-Chronicle STURGEON BAY - In two days of meetings last week, state Transportation Secretary Tom Carlsen assured Sturgeon Bay leaders that the Michigan Street Bridge will be rehabilitated to the point where "we can get 25 years more use out of it." DOT is making plans to began the rehabilitation in 2006, Carlsen said. At the same time, Carlsen said DOT is willing to talk with city leaders and federal agencies about the possibility of building a second downtown crossing in a corridor between Maple and Oregon streets. "We're moving ahead with a sense of cooperation," Carlsen said. The rehabilitation project is estimated to cost about $12 million. When the work is completed, the aging bridge should be in a condition to allow semitrailer trucks back on its traffic lanes. Currently, a five-ton weight limit makes the bridge usable for cars and pickup trucks, but not for most trailer-towing vehicles and definitely not for semis. The only other bay crossing, the Bayview Bridge on the Highway 42-57 bypass, is due to get a new deck and have its approaches ground in 2004, McLeod said. Most of the work could be completed on alternating lanes to ensure a minimal flow of traffic, but the structure may have to be closed to traffic for some parts of the work, he said. Meanwhile, a third crossing in the Maple-Oregon corridor cannot be tackled until all the issues and costs, plus a commitment of some financial contribution from the city, are defined, Carlsen said. Meetings - there is no date set yet - to talk about the details of the Maple-Oregon corridor first must be held with city officials and then with agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "If we find it is feasible (to build at Maple-Oregon), then we will determine the costs of that bridge," Carlsen said.