Updated Ayd Mill Road to reopen in St. Paul Saturday

St. Paul's Ayd Mill Road will reopen to the public on Saturday, complete with a new trail and a lower speed limit.

The 1.5-mile stretch of road has been closed for construction since Aug. 1. It now has a shared pedestrian and bicycle trail, as well as two southbound vehicle lanes and one northbound vehicle lane with 35 mph speed limits.

What to do with Ayd Mill Road, a never-finished freeway connector, has been the subject of decades of planning and public debate. In April, a divided City Council approved a $7.5 million plan to add a greenway and fix the roadway — then one of the most dilapidated in a city full of crumbling streets.

"Ayd Mill Road has challenged our city for over a generation," Mayor Melvin Carter said in a statement Thursday. "Reimagining this critical route as a complete street we can all use and enjoy demonstrates our community's commitment to our residents and our planet alike."

Carter will celebrate the road's reopening with a socially distanced bike ride or walk along the new trail, beginning at 9 a.m. at Eleanor Graham Community Garden at Ashland and Hamline avenues. Members of the public are invited to attend.

EMMA NELSON