Two bridges on Hwy. 169 in Champlin have deteriorated so much that the Minnesota Department of Transportation on Thursday imposed weight restrictions that will prohibit trucks carrying heavy loads from using them.
Both the northbound and southbound bridges over Elm Creek near Hayden Lake Road have been under watch for the past few years, but a recent check found problems bad enough that weight restrictions needed to be put in place.
Effective immediately, the department said, single-axle trucks weighing more than 16 tons and semi-trailer truck and truck-trailer combinations weighing more than 26 tons will be prohibited from crossing and routed on a detour. Emergency vehicles and school buses will be allowed to cross, but a reduced speed.
"These weight restrictions are a necessary precaution to minimize further deterioration by limiting the heavy loads that cross over each bridge," said Bev Farraher, acting state bridge engineer. "We want to assure the traveling public that both bridges are safe. Our goal here is to keep the bridges functioning effectively and safely until they are replaced."
It's not clear how long the restrictions will be in place, but they won't be lifted at least until MnDOT comes up with a cost-effective solution to fix them.
Prohibited vehicles will be routed in the following manner:
Northbound trucks will be detoured east on Hwy. 610 to northbound Hwy. 47 to westbound Hwy. 10. Southbound trucks will be detoured east on Hwy. 10 to southbound Hwy. 47 to westbound Hwy. 610.
The Champlin bridges were built in 1956.
