SAINT PAUL, Minn. – State Rep. Dave Lislegard (DFL – Aurora) today introduced a bill in the Minnesota House to name the Highway 53 bridge over the Rouchleau mine pit in Virginia – the tallest bridge in the entire state – the “Tom Rukavina Memorial Bridge” after the longtime former Iron Range lawmaker who passed away earlier this month. The bill also includes $5.4 million to reimburse the city of Virginia for their share of costs incurred in the rerouting of the highway.
“I’m honored to be the chief author of this legislation which accomplishes two major things: makes the city of Virginia whole for their contributions to this enormous project, and honors Tom Rukavina for his enormous contributions to our region over a lifetime of public service,” Rep. Lislegard said. “Some of us may find irony in having Tommy’s name on the tallest bridge in the state, but this is a perfect way to remind us all of his work to strengthen opportunities for working people here on the Range and throughout the state.”
The bridge rises 204 ft. above the water in the mine pit and is widely considered a massive engineering phenomenon. Its construction was part of a 3.2 mile reroute of the highway completed last year at a cost of $240 million. The move was necessitated by Cleveland Cliffs’s reclamation of land underneath the former highway stemming from a decades-long agreement over mineral leases. Continue reading “Rep. Lislegard champions bill to name Hwy. 53 bridge after Rukavina; deliver Virginia gap funding”