Narrows Bridge (County Road 19) in Orono and Tonka Bay
On Monday, June 1, crews will begin the Narrows Bridge rehabilitation project in Orono and Tonka Bay.
Crews will remove the bridge deck, restore components underneath and replace the bridge deck during the course of the project. This will ensure a longer service life for the bridge and reduce the need for frequent maintenance activities in the future.
Bridge closing for construction safety
We anticipate the bridge will be closed for up to three months. While the bridge is closed, we will be working on essential activities needed to reopen the bridge as quick as possible.
The bridge design, the extensive work involved, land restrictions around the site and crew safety are four key reasons why the bridge cannot remain open during construction.
Once crews can safely reopen the bridge, the road will reopen to through traffic and crews will complete the remaining construction activities. Crews will be on site, so people will need to exercise caution and should expect delays.
Expect short-term, weekday channel closures
The Narrows Channel will also close for short durations during the construction.
We anticipate closing the channel two times. Both closures will be during the weekday and last five days each. We will inform people of these closures ahead of time via email updates, on the project website and signage at the channel. We do not anticipate any need to fully close the channel during the weekends – including during the Fourth of July weekend.
There will also be intermittent partial closures -- including on weekends. The channel width will be restricted, but people boating will still be able to travel through the area. We will inform people of these closures with signage and traffic control boats to guide boaters through the channel.
Detour and access
During the closure, people driving will need to use the detour taking:
- Highway 7
- Westedge Boulevard/County Road 44
- Commerce/Bartlett Boulevard (County Road 110)
- Shoreline Drive (County Road 15)
A part of the detour route will go through an active construction area at the Shoreline Drive and Shadywood Road (County Road 19) intersection. Please anticipate traffic configuration changes and delays when traveling through.
People walking, biking and rolling will need to use alternative routes to get around the closure.
 Map of the detour during the Narrows Bridge closure.
For more information
To learn more about the project, visit www.hennepin.us/narrowsbridge.
For questions, please contact the project at transportation@hennepin.us or call 612-348-8448.
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