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10th Av. Bridge to reopen Friday; vehicles will have one lane each way

All traffic, not only buses and bikes, will be allowed to use the 10th Avenue Bridge when it reopens sometime Friday.

Last update: August 28, 2007 - 9:06 PM

All traffic, not only buses and bikes, will be allowed to use the 10th Avenue Bridge when it reopens sometime Friday.

The bridge, which crosses the Mississippi River just downstream from the collapsed Interstate 35W bridge, is being reconfigured to include one lane of vehicle traffic in each direction and a new, 11-foot-wide walkway overlooking the collapse site.

Previously, the bridge had four lanes of traffic, and there was no walkway on its upstream side, only a bicycle lane that was not separated from traffic.

The bridge will reopen Friday when the modifications are complete, a spokesman for the city of Minneapolis said.

The bridge is an important link for the University of Minnesota, which has campuses on both sides of the river. The fall semester begins Tuesday.

JIM FOTI