Lowry Avenue Bridge Phase II construction begins
05/01/2011
hase II of the Lowry Avenue Bridge reconstruction began the week of April 18. Contractors began by removing the retaining wall beginning near the west shore of the Mississippi River and proceeding to the west.
Phase II consists of reconstructing the roadway and the Lowry Avenue Bridge (County State Aid Highway 153) over the western shore and Canadian Pacific Railroad tracks between Second St. and the Mississippi River.
At some point during Phase II, traffic may be reduced to one lane in each direction at the intersection of Lowry Ave. and Second St. More details will be announced closer to the start of that portion of the project.
The Hennepin County Transportation Department started Phase I – construction of the bridge over the Mississippi River – in 2010. The entire project is scheduled for completion in summer of 2012. Later this summer, the bridge deck will cross the river, and the bridge arch is scheduled for installation this fall.
The Lowry Avenue Bridge, a Minneapolis landmark since 1905, was imploded in June 2009. Hennepin County engineers, in consultation with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, determined it was necessary to close the bridge for safety reasons in April 2008, due to continued structural issues with one of the bridge piers. In 2004, bridge engineers discovered a pier had rotated out of vertical alignment; further rotation introduced an unacceptable risk.
Look for info at www.lowryavenuebridge.com. (Photo is of construction on April 22; photo by Randy Klauk.)