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Today the Minneapolis Park and Recreation (MPRB) announced it will begin to reopen lesser used parkway sections that have been closed to allow more space for trail users to follow social distancing practices to prevent spreading COVID-19.
The openings begin Friday, June 26 with Main Street SE from Hennepin Avenue to 3rd Ave SE open by 10 am. This opening is due to the reopening of businesses along Main Street. On Friday, June 19, Main Street between 3rd and 6th, owned by the City of Minneapolis, was transitioned from an exclusive pedestrian and bike facility to a shared slow street prioritizing people walking, biking and rolling, while also open to slow moving vehicles.
Additional openings will take place by 10 am on Monday, June 29 and include East River Road, Lake of the Isles Parkway and Nokomis Parkway. These parkways had low pedestrian usage during their closures or will be impacted by upcoming vehicle detours necessitated by construction projects.
Bde Maka Ska Parkway, Cedar Lake Parkway, Lake Harriet Parkway and West River Parkway will remain closed to traffic and open for pedestrian use.
“Given current available funding, MPRB is prioritizing extending closures for the most heavily used parkway spaces where added space for social distancing is most needed,” said MPRB Board President Jono Cowgill. “Providing parkway space for people has been incredibly successful and I look forward to providing more opportunities for opening up these spaces if funding becomes available in the future.”
The Minnesota Department of Health and Center for Disease Control offer the following guidelines for social distancing in public to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
- Do not use parks if you feel sick or have symptoms, including fever, body aches, coughing, nasal congestion, runny nose and sore throat.
- Cover your cough with your elbow, don’t cough into your hands.
- Wash your hands immediately before and after visiting a park or trail.
- Maintain at least six feet of distance between you and other people that are not a part of your household.
Stay Updated
Visit minneapolisparks.org/coronavirus for parkway closure updates and other MPRB FAQs, including facility closings and activity cancellations. Receive timely email updates by visiting minneapolisparks.org/subscribe, entering your email and selecting the “COVID-19” topic in the “News Updates” section.
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