The Wake

Many, if not all, of us here at the University of Minnesota have experienced the loud, claustrophobia-inducing walk from the East Bank to the West Bank as a result of the fencing put up on the pedestrian bridge spanning the Mississippi River. Not unbearable, but certainly not enjoyable. Thus, the fact that the restrictions placed on the bridge are finite gives us something to look forward to with the coming of spring. And with the reopening of the Interstate 35W bridge peeking around the corner, things are looking up for traffic conditions at the U of M.

Bridge to somewhere

According to Hennepin County Engineer Jim Grube, the concern about the safety of the pedestrian bridge began when the Hennepin County Public Works Department conducted an analysis of the lower deck of the bridge in preparation of bringing the Light Rail Transit Line across the river. “The analysis showed that the bridge has weakened since it was built in 1965,” said Grube. He explained that keeping the pedestrians on the upper deck centered in the enclosure is a temporary precaution that allows the bridge to remain open while the necessary repairs take place. Traffic on the lowerdeck has also been restricted to allow only vehicles below a specific weight to cross. All other traffic has been redirected to other spans in the downtown/Southeast area.

The reopening date for the upper pedestrian deck has been marked for April 1, 2009. Hennepin County has maintained that, rather than opening the temporary bicycle lanes first, the entire outside portions of the bridge will be opened at once. This allows the department to complete the repairs in a reasonable amount of time while managing the expectations of the public. Traffic will also be limited to legal weight vehicles until the completion of the repairs.

With the opening of the new Interstate 35W bridge, however, congestion on area bridges and in the University Area in general will be significantly reduced. Though unable to give an exact date, Grube sounded confident that the long-awaited reopening of the highway span will come soon. “[Traffic conditions] will be much better for the campus area in general after the reopening of 35W,” projected Grube. Most affected areas will be the intersections of 10th Avenue SE with 4th Avenue SE and University Avenue SE, as well as the entirety of University Avenue and the Seven Corners area.

Poor bike lanes

In a news release from the University News Service, the Department of Facilities Management at the University of Minnesota requests, for the safety of all pedestrians, that bicyclists dismount prior to entering the bridge enclosure and proceed to walk their bikes across the span, remounting only after exiting the enclosure. “The restrictions on the pedestrian bridge have really shown the generous use [of the pedestrian bridge]”, said Grube. Following the guidelines set down by the University regarding bicycles and being respectful of fellow pedestrians will make an easier transition for everyone to the temporary new program. There is also a nosmoking
regulation that is enforced inside the enclosure on
the bridge.