The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) just started a new project that will study a potential new bridge and gathering space for people walking, running, biking or rolling over the Mississippi River between North and Northeast Minneapolis. The project will assess feasibility and create designs for a Mississippi River bridge connecting 26th Ave N and 18th Ave NE.
We all want easier access to areas around our city. Have your say. The MPRB wants to know about community goals and vision for the project. Take the Mississippi River Recreational Bridge survey at surveymonkey.com/r/mississippibridge.
As this project transitions from a feasibility study to the conceptual design effort over the winter, the project team will host community gatherings and attend other events to help gather feedback.
About the Project
The MPRB and many other organizations seek to fill a longstanding gap in the regional trail system between North and Northeast Minneapolis. Currently, the Lowry Avenue Bridge and the Plymouth Avenue Bridge are the only bicycle and pedestrian routes crossing the Mississippi River north of Nicollet Island in Minneapolis. The MPRB is leading this initiative and expects to collaborate with several other agencies.
The Great Northern Greenway is halfway between Lowry and Plymouth. It travels east-west across all of Minneapolis, except a river crossing. In North Minneapolis, it connects Theodore Wirth Regional Park to the river along 26th Avenue N, and in Northeast it connects Minneapolis Diagonal Trail to the river, generally along 18th Avenue NE. Previous planning efforts by multiple agencies indicate a trail crossing placed on the south half of an existing BNSF Railway bridge. During the feasibility portion of work, the design team will address initial concerns of using the BNSF bridge, including its age, modifications required to safely add a trail next to an active freight line, and an uncertain timeline.
This project seeks to better understand the requirements of a new river crossing upstream of the BNSF bridge and explore the possibilities of connecting two neighborhoods to each other and the Mississippi River. As an MPRB-led initiative, this river crossing can be more aligned with the characteristics of a park, not just a transportation conduit. The bridge and its connective landscapes can be artful and fun but must also be obtainable and constructable.
The MPRB will inform the public of the progress throughout the feasibility study portion of work, then transition to more in-depth community engagement to help create concepts for the bridge crossing and its connections to the neighborhoods on either side of the river. The MPRB will seek funding upon completion of the feasibility portion of the work.
Visit the project page and sign up for email updates to follow along as work happens. Visit the project page: minneapolisparks.org/park-care-improvements/park-projects/current_projects/feasibility-study-and-concept-planning-for-non-vehicular-bridge-over-the-mississippi-river/.