A switcheroo will take place next week on the Stone Arch Bridge as a major restoration of the historical structure hits the halfway point.
As Stone Arch Bridge glow-up makes progress in Minneapolis, east side to re-open
The pedestrian bridge that connects downtown Minneapolis to the east side of the Mississippi River is undergoing a major renovation project, with the downtown side soon to close and the east entrance about to re-open. The whole thing is supposed to be crossable again by next fall.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
November 27, 2024 at 5:00PM
The Minnesota Department of Transportation will close the side of the bridge closest to downtown Minneapolis along with the portion of Portland Avenue below it.
At the same time, the eastern half of the bridge near St. Anthony Main and Father Hennepin Park, which closed in April, will reopen, allowing pedestrians, bicyclists and those who roll by other means to get to the middle of the bridge before having to turn around.
An official detour directs anybody needing to cross the full length of the bridge spanning the Mississippi River and St. Anthony Falls to the nearby 3rd Avenue bridge.
Over the past seven months, crews have been repairing and replacing worn out stone, replacing the mortar on the entire bridge, and making other repairs as needed. Stone repair and mortar replacement will slow deterioration and improve the condition of the 140-year-old bridge, said MnDOT spokesman Jesse Johnson.
Work on the $38.5 million project will continue through the winter, Johnson said, with crews removing more stone and failing mortar and sawing of joints.
“This work is in preparation for work next spring when the weather is warmer, which includes veneer replacement and tuckpointing,” Johnson said.
By working through the coldest months, the project will stay on schedule, Johnson said. That means the entire bridge will reopen to pedestrians and bicyclists by the fall of 2025. Some work on the bridge will continue into 2026.
Railroad magnate James J. Hill commissioned engineer Charles C. Smith to design the Stone Arch bridge, which resulted in the 2,100-foot long structure with 23 arches and an 817-foot, six-degree curve on the west end. The landmark bridge build between 1881 and 1883 cost about $650,000, or more than $16.5 million in today’s dollars.
The last trains crossed the Stone Arch in 1978. The Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority bought the bridge in 1989. Ownership was transferred to MnDOT in 1992.
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