Project overview

The 10th Avenue Bridge (Bridge 2796) is an important part of transportation in the Minneapolis riverfront area.

Who the bridge carries over the Mississippi river daily

• 10,000 motor vehicles
• Hundreds of pedestrians and bicyclists

This a historic bridge. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Under Criterion “A” Community Development – Transportation and Criterion “C” (Engineering Design).

Built in 1929, it has carried traffic over the Mississippi River for over 90 years.

Rehab work needed

The bridge's concrete components are deteriorating due to:

1. Leaking expansion joints
2. Leaking drainage elements

This deterioration is a mixture of freeze thaw damage and corrosion based damage.

Project plan

We worked with the SEH consultant team to design a rehabilitation project for the bridge.

The design meets many goals, including:

• Working with many stakeholders and agencies
• Staying within the project budget
• Construction that results in an attractive bridge with durable details
• Does not compromise the historic integrity of the bridge
• Water main work

Water main replacement

We also plan to replace a large-diameter water main. The water main suspends from the bridge structure.

The water main was installed in 1949. It has suffered from many of the same deteriorating conditions as the bridge.

• We'll remove the main from beneath the bridge
• We'll install a replacement underneath the Mississippi River.
  We'll do this by
  1. Digging two large, deep shafts on either side of the river
  2. Using a specialized tunneling machine to install the new water main beneath the river.

Construction of the water main went from Spring 2019 - Winter 2020.

View the latest project newsletter

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Traffic impacts

There are some closures.

• The 10th Ave. Bridge will remain closed to all traffic including, vehicles, bikes, and pedestrians until Fall 2021.
• W. River Pkwy. (roadway only) under the 10th Ave. Bridge will remain closed to all vehicular traffic through April 30, 2021.
• The West River Parkway Trail will remain open to bicyclists and pedestrians during this time.
• The Bluff Street Trail under the 10th Ave Bridge will be closed from June 16-18, 2021.