As I write this, I’m wondering how things will shake out for the Toll Bridge this week. In 2013, Moorhead entered into a lawsuit with the Bridge Company to force the transfer of the Toll Bridge in North Moorhead to the cities of Moorhead and Fargo. Over 25 years ago, the two cities and the Bridge Company entered into an agreement. The Bridge Company would like to extend the agreement; the City of Moorhead did not. The City of Moorhead won the lawsuit, but the Bridge Company has exercised their right of Appeal, which has delayed our ability to open the bridge toll-free. The latest court time requires the Bridge Company to provide 2 – $320,000 bonds for the Appeal to continue. Thursday is the deadline. So, I’ve been thinking about it. That is a lot of money, and would seem a fair possibility that the Bridge Company will choose not to post the bonds. If that happens, the Court will direct Mike Redlinger, our City Manager, to initiate the paperwork for the transfer. I’ve been asked “Will Moorhead continue the Toll?” No, that was our goal for the lawsuit. “When will we do it?” As soon, as we physically can. We have been talking about what we need to move to ensure safety, and how we’ll communicate the news to drivers. Some will be in stages. We may need to close the bridge for a bit to take the Bridge building and cement base off. “What happens if they post the bonds?” The Appeal will then go forward and the timing will then be closer to June or July, of 2015. Time will tell… and as this issue goes out, you can know that we are working hard to ensure a safe toll-free transfer.