Bridge project could top $130M
Published 10:11 am Monday, December 22, 2014
MINNEAPOLIS — Three historic bridges spanning the Mississippi River in Minneapolis are due for repairs in the next five years, and officials say the total cost could top $130 million.
The Star Tribune reports that the Third Avenue, 10th Avenue and Franklin Avenue bridges all had major overhauls in the 1970s. But water and salt have taken a toll.
Engineers say the bridges are safe, but need new decks and concrete patches.
The Franklin Avenue Bridge will be repaired first, starting in spring 2015.
That project alone is estimated to cost $50 million. Hennepin County engineer Jim Grube says the price went up partly because cement is scarce locally due to Vikings stadium construction and oil traffic on freight tracks.