Rolling out the Lowry Avenue bridge

The Lowry Avenue bridge is opening on Saturday, Oct. 27, four years after officials demolished its predecessor. The new bridge includes an anti-icing system, LED lighting and a storm water management system. (Staff photo: Bill Klotz)

North Minneapolis span opens Saturday

More than four years after the Lowry Avenue bridge was taken out of service, its replacement is ready for its coming out party.

On Saturday, officials and residents will celebrate the opening of the 1,600-foot span crossing the Mississippi River, reconnecting north and northeast Minneapolis and inspiring hopes for transformation on each end.

“It’s a work of art almost,” said Mark Stenglein, who pushed the bridge project as a Hennepin County commissioner. “It’s a vital link for commerce and public safety, but I also see it as a catalyst to help development. It certainly shines a spotlight on that part of the city.”

The previous bridge, a truss-style span built in 1905, was closed in 2008 after an inspection revealed that a pier had shifted. It was demolished in 2009.

Its replacement is far larger and grander. It’s also a lot more expensive.

Though a budget was never set, original designs for a 900-foot river crossing were projected to cost around $36 million. The budget later grew to $104 million after county officials decided to add a land bridge on the west end, extending the overpass so the shoreline wouldn’t be interrupted.

The higher costs also reflected a unique basket style, tied-arch design and the inclusion of features such as an anti-icing system, LED lighting and storm water system that will filter runoff from the bridge.

Work was paid for with $62.7 million in county bonds, $37.5 million in state bonds and $2.85 in city funds. There was also $962,000 in federal money and $190,000 from Xcel Energy, which is running utilities through the bridge.

Jim Grube, the director of Hennepin County’s transportation department, said final costs may come closer to $95 million, but acknowledged the outlay was the largest he’d seen since joining the county in 1994.

“This is a big deal for the county,” Grube said Friday. “But I always said this was a 100-year decision. There are some excellent, majestic bridges across the Mississippi, and this is one of them.”

The costs weren’t just about making the bridge into a city landmark, though.

Rick Brown, an engineer with SRF Consulting who served as the consultant team project manager, said the bridge work has several features will ensure the bridge fits its surroundings and lasts over the long haul.

The arch construction, designed by T.Y. Lin, International, allows higher river clearance while minimizing the grade changes on the deck. The anti-icing system sprays a chemical that prevents icing, minimizing maintenance. And an underground sand filter on the east side will filter storm water not just from the bridge but 100 surrounding acres.

“The important thing for any bridge is that it best meets the needs of a particular local situation, and I think that’s what the Lowry Avenue bridge does here,” Brown said.

The storm water functions are particularly reflective of the bridge’s environment, since it sits just west of the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization’s new headquarters.

The bridge will not only help demonstrate urban storm water management, but also will reconnect residents with the riverfront, said Doug Snyder, the watershed’s executive director.

“It brings back the fact that, at one point, there was a pretty strong relationship with the river,” he said. “We would like to see that public access grow again so that people can make more of a personal connection again, and the river isn’t just something that flows through our cities.”

Still, not everyone remains convinced the bridge’s grandeur was wise in a tight economic climate.

Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson said there was “no question” the span had to be replaced, and supported the extension to avoid another disruptive and costly project later.

But he still questions whether the arched design was worth the extra expense, and if the bridge will inspire the kind of redevelopment proponents have suggested.

“I think taxpayers are interested in in having an attractive, functional safe bridge, but not an iconic landmark that costs millions of dollars more,” Johnson said.

The bridge was built by Black River Falls, Wis.-based Lunda Construction. Its opening follows the Oct. 15 opening of the Plymouth Avenue bridge, which had been out of commission for two years amid repairs.