Ramsey County wrapped up work on the new Dale Street bridge over Interstate 94 a couple of weeks ago, but there is a lot more to celebrate than the completion of another construction project that brought two years of upheaval to St. Paul's historic Rondo neighborhood.
New Dale Street bridge helps connect St. Paul to its past
August 15, 2021 at 10:11PM
The new $14.7 million four-lane bridge means a neighborhood divided is connected once again.
Mayor Melvin Carter, U.S. congresswoman Betty McCollum, D-St. Paul, Ramsey County board members and public works employees, architects, artists and members of the community whose voices and talents shaped the final design gathered at a ribbon-cutting on the bridge Wednesday to mark the occasion.
"We are blessed to be able to celebrate the reopening of the bridge that is not just a connection from one side of Interstate 94 to the other, but truly a connection from our past to our future," Carter said. "It's not just a piece of concrete to move across. It's an experience, a living breathing story."
The thriving Black neighborhood a mile or so west of the State Capitol was decimated in the 1960s when I-94 was built. Elements incorporated into the bridge commemorate the history, community and cultures of Rondo.
Words to the poem "Now We are Rondo" are etched into wider sidewalks put in to improve safety and walkability. Prints of oak leaves arranged to mimic dance steps to the Lindy Hop are sandblasted into the concrete. The bridge features giant metal silhouettes representing the canopy of oak trees that once lined Rondo's streets, and imprints of homes bulldozed when the freeway came through put them back on Dale Street. Text in 11 languages pays tribute to the mix of cultures of those who called the area home.
"A lot of people think of it [Rondo] as the past," said Mica Anders, one of three resident artists whose handiwork memorializing the neighborhood was incorporated into the finished product. "You have to look back to see where you are going."
The original Dale Street bridge, built in 1961 and last expanded in 1983, was in dire need of repair. The project included new left-turn lanes to better accommodate traffic volume, concrete barriers to separate pedestrians from traffic, curb extensions (bump-outs) to shorten crossing distances for those on foot, and repaving Dale Street between Central and University avenues.
A gas station was removed and a switchback-style sidewalk conforming to ADA standards was put in, as was greenery to beautify the area and tanks to recycle rainwater runoff.
The words "Dale Street" are etched into the sides of the bridge as a "welcome to St. Paul," even for those on I-94 who are just passing through, Anders said.
Though the final product is something to marvel at, it's the way layers of government and members of the community joined forces that made Wednesday's ribbon-cutting extra special, Carter said.
Plans to replace the narrow span came up six years ago when Ramsey County received $5.6 million in federal funding. But instead of rushing to build and reopening scars from past construction projects, the county took a few years to listen to the residents, churches, nonprofits and others before devising the final plan.
"We can be proud of this bridge because it is one all of us got a chance to put our hands into and help design," Carter said. "Congratulations on our new bridge."
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