Bicyclists and pedestrians can once again cross the Martin Olav Sabo bridge. Crews have completed repairs and the bridge is expected to open today, city of Minneapolis officials said.
The 215-foot cable-stayed suspension bridge over Hiawatha Avenue in south Minneapolis has been closed for the past several weeks as the engineering firm of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. installed and retrofited diaphram on the bridge's pylon that broke loose when one of the plates fractured.
Temporary repairs were made last winter which allowed the bridge to be open during the summer. The bridge was closed this fall so final repairs could be made.
The bridge, built in 2007, was closed earlier this year when two suspension cables broke loose. The engineering firm concluded that wind induced viibrations caused some of the diaphragm plates to crack and two cables to snap.
The two cables have been replaced and the plates have been retrofitted to withstand wind vibrations that led to the original problems.
City officials said there might be some temporary closures next year to allow for painting, lighting and installing a screen.
