Bridge No. 9 in Minneapolis will reopen to cyclists and pedestrians on Jan. 16 following months of construction work.
The bridge spans the Mississippi River just east of the Interstate 35W bridge and the 10th Avenue Bridge and is a crossing for the Dinkytown Greenway bike trail. It was closed to traffic in April to allow crews to replace decking and the bridge railing, add abutments on both ends and make other repairs.
The fixes, required to address deterioration throughout the historic structure, cost the city an estimated $6.1 million.
About 2,000 people were using the bridge every day when it was closed, according to an email from Allen Henry, media relations coordinator for the city.
Work will continue after the bridge reopens. Beginning in May, workers will add support between a structural pier and the sandstone at the bottom of the river. Crews will also replace concrete on one of the piers. The bridge will be open to pedestrians and bikers throughout the remaining construction work.
The Northern Pacific Railway constructed Bridge No. 9 in 1922 to carry freight over the Mississippi River. Minneapolis acquired the bridge in 1986 and in 1999 converted it from a double track railroad bridge to a pedestrian and bicycle bridge.
The bridge’s historic nature is rooted in the configuration of the deck truss, which runs under the roadway, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. It is also important because it represents a movement in Minneapolis to separate railroad bridges from vehicular and pedestrian crossings.
