Washington Ave Bridge Repairs

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From the Star Tribune:

Concerns about the strength of the pedestrian portion of the Washington Avenue bridge -- the distinctive double-decked span over the Mississippi River that connects the East and West Banks of the University of Minnesota campus -- have prompted Hennepin County to limit where bikes and pedestrians are allowed on the
bridge's upper level.



Pedestrians and cyclists will be limited to the 'breezeway,' the sheltered semi-indoor space at the center of the bridge. With the high ped/bike volumes on the bridge, it will be pretty congested until the County finishes its work, hopefully by next spring or early summer. While the U is looking into possibilities for keeping a bike facility on the bridge, it may be helpful for as many cyclists as possible to use Bridge 9 to get from the East Bank to the West Bank.

This unexpected closure emphasizes the need I see to build more redundancy into our non-motorized infrastructure network, an often overlooked benefit of new bike and pedestrian trails.

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