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Here’s what’s happening on the Third Ave. Bridge project

The Third Ave. Bridge has been closed since the beginning of January. We appreciate your patience with this major construction project and hope you have found new ways to get around on our recommended detour routes.

Short-term West River Parkway closure starts May 3

West River Parkway will be closed to all vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists starting on Mon, May 3 through May 17 to allow crews to complete work on the bridge above the parkway. The closure extends from Portland Avenue to N. 4th Avenue for vehicles and from Portland Avenue to Hennepin Avenue for people walking and bicycling.

• The detour for all motorists uses Portland Avenue to Washington Avenue to Hennepin Avenue to N 1st Street to N 4th Avenue.
• The pedestrian detour is 2nd Street to 2nd Avenue to 1st Street to Hennepin Avenue (loop down to West River Parkway).
• The bicycling detour is Portland Avenue to Washington Avenue to N 2nd Avenue to West River Parkway via the multiuse trail.

Construction update

Crews continue to remove the deck, spandrel columns and spandrel deck by section of the bridge to repair each feature. Crews also continue to work on repairing pier bases near the waterline. The pier bases are being repaired to match how they originally looked when the bridge was built in the early 20th Century.  

View of deck, spandrel, and spandrel columns removed, showing remaining arch rib (MnDOT)

Project website

Curious about the work that’s being done and the detour routes to get you around construction? Visit the project webpage to learn more about the schedule, impacts to your commute, rehabilitation and preservation efforts and what the bridge will look like when the work is done.

Road work continues to be a critical service. MnDOT is committed to protecting the health, safety and well-being of its employees, contractors and all Minnesotans. Crews continue to follow the guidance of state and federal health officials to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

History moment

During construction of the original bridge in the early 20^th Century, crews used a cableway to deliver materials and workers to different areas of the construction site. The cableway was held up by a set of tall towers on both sides of the bridge.

Cableway bucket at construction site (Hennepin County Library, 1914)

More about this project

The historic Third Ave. Bridge over the Mississippi River near St. Anthony Falls opened in 1918 and needs significant repairs. The bridge carries Third and Central avenues, which are part of Hwy 65.

Construction began in May 2020 and is anticipated to be complete in August 2023. The bridge is fully closed to traffic through November 2022. Motorists, transit riders, and people walking and bicycling will need to use alternate routes across the river during this time.

For more information, visit the project webpage. To contact the project team email connect@thirdavebridgeclosure.com or call the project hotline at 612-547-7968.

^{MnDOT invites and encourages participation by all. If you need an ASL, a foreign language interpreter, or other reasonable accommodation, or need documents in an alternative format (such as braille or large print), please email your request to Janet Miller at ADArequest.dot@state.mn.us or call 651-366-4720.}