Dozens gathered as local leaders spoke and acknowledged the 10th Avenue Bridge’s official reopening and ribbon cutting on Tuesday, Nov. 16. Referred to as a true “pandemic project,” since it began in March of 2020 and coincided with the state lockdown, the new bridge design has added a bike lane, repaired the deteriorated concrete components brought on by leaking drainage elements and replaced a water main originally suspended under the bridge with a new one in a tunnel running underneath the Mississippi River.
Third Ward Council Member Steve Fletcher, State Senator Kari Dziedzic and Mayor Jacob Frey were among those in attendance and spoke before the official unveiling. “This was on one of my first bill proposals back in 2012, so this has been something I’ve wanted to complete for a long time,” said Dziedzic. “Safety was certainly a primary factor to restore this bridge. Now that it’s back open, all the first responders can use this route as intended as an alternative to the 35W Bridge.
“When this proposed bill to repair the bridge was first put out, it wasn’t initially approved, and in that two-year span it needed an additional $30 million after continuous deterioration. I want to preserve historic bridges for everyone’s safety and to respect their unique architecture,” she continued.
The historic bridge was first opened in 1929 and is considered a fine example of concrete bridge construction during the early days of the automobile. According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the bridge has 21 spans (seven main river spans and 14 approach spans) with an overall length of about 2,153 feet. The deck surface is approximately 118 feet above the river. Its sidewalk and bridge railings were replaced in the 1950s and the driving surface was repaired in the 1970s. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
The water main was placed under the bridge deck in 1949 to carry drinking water across the river from the water treatment plant in Fridley to downtown. The freeze/thaw cycles of Minnesota’s winters took its toll on the main and the bridge, which had many cracks in its concrete and exposed rebar. The new 5-ft.-diameter main rests 70 to 130 feet beneath the river bottom.
The bridge, which typically carries 10,000 vehicles and 2,000 bicyclists and pedestrians every day, is, in the words of Bryan Dodds, deputy public works director and city engineer, “multimodal.” Vehicular traffic is restricted to one lane going each way. A concrete barrier separates the road from a two-way bicycle lane on the downriver side. Pedestrian sidewalks line the railings.
Fletcher was enthusiastic about the recently added bike lanes. “With such a high concentration of students in this area, we always ask how we can help the biking commuters. With these bike lanes open, we can help students and all bikers travel safely next to traffic. This is going to pair well with University Avenue adding bike lanes in the future.”
The first pedestrians to cross the bridge Nov. 16 were students.
Below: Bicyclists and pedestrians were the first people to use the renovated 10th Avenue Bridge. Restoration of the 10th Avenue Bridge cost $60 million. (Photos by Nik Linde)