Cedar Avenue Bridge (Minnesota River)

Cedar Avenue Bridge
A picture of the Cedar Avenue Bridge taken in early spring, 2006. This view is taken from the south end of the bridge looking northward.
Carries	6 lanes of MN-77
Crosses	Minnesota River
Locale	Bloomington, Minnesota - Eagan, Minnesota, U.S.
Maintained by	Minnesota Department of Transportation
Opened	1979
Coordinates	44°49′38″N 93°13′53″W / 44.827340°N 93.231320°W / 44.827340; -93.231320Coordinates: 44°49′38″N 93°13′53″W / 44.827340°N 93.231320°W / 44.827340; -93.231320

The Cedar Avenue Bridge carries Minnesota State Highway 77 across the Minnesota River between the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburbs of Bloomington and Eagan, Minnesota. The two parallel crossings for northbound and southbound lanes are respectively 5,159 feet (1,572 m) and 5,185 feet (1,580 m) in length. It was built in 1979, superseding an older swing bridge by the same name that was composed of low-lying truss segments.

Other bridges

The original Old Cedar Avenue Bridge was built in 1890. The bridge that stands now was built in 1920 and carried automobile traffic into the 1990s.^[1] The narrow span continued operation as a bicycle trail until 2002 when it was deemed too unsafe. In 2008, $2 million in state funding was approved to reopen the bridge to bicyclists and pedestrians. Back when the old structure was the main crossing, heavy traffic delays would occur because of the bridge's small size and the need to operate the swing segment to let boat traffic pass. The modern bridge has three lanes in each direction, in addition to a shoulder which is often used by buses to get past traffic slowdowns.

At one time, the 10th Avenue Bridge, which crosses the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, was called the "Cedar Avenue Bridge".

See also

• List of crossings of the Minnesota River

References

1. ^ Smetanka, Mary Jane (May 1, 2010). "Old Cedar Avenue Bridge getting renewed life". Minneapolis Star Tribune. http://www.startribune.com/local/south/92594459.html. Retrieved May 10, 2011. 

• Weeks III, John A.. "Cedar Avenue Bridge". http://www.johnweeks.com/bridges/pages/mn03.html. Retrieved 2006-03-21.