A new I-35W bridge is on the way

When the new I-35 bridge goes up, FMR hopes it will be an attractive addition to a vibrant and special place at the headwaters of the Mississippi Gorge and the birthplace of Minneapolis. The good news is that the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is making visual quality a priority in selecting a team to design and build the bridge.

FMR is participating on the Visual Quality Advisory Team (VQAT) for the new bridge, along with representatives from MnDOT, the National Park Service, the City of Minneapolis, the Minneapolis Park Board and the State Historic Preservation Office. The VQAT identified a set of goals for visual quality that must be addressed in the proposals being developed by four bidders to include:

• The new bridge should be an integrated whole, in which all elements complement the overall appearance of the structure.
• The final design solution should result in an elegant simplicity in which the engineered lines are the primary design element.
• The bridge should not pretend to be historic.
• The design elements should exhibit fluid lines in the overall presentation of the bridge.
• The design of the new bridge should complement the adjacent Tenth Avenue Bridge
• Consider the appearance of the new bridge both during the day and at night. (Architectural accent lighting should be included in the design solution)
• Travelers should have a clear sense of a bridge crossing that celebrates or communicates that one is crossing the Mississippi River.
• Way-finding or interpretive signage should be incorporated into the roadway/bridge design.

In addition, the VQAT expressed the need to in ensure that a corridor for a future East River Parkway and trail will be preserved, and that the experience for riverfront park users under the bridge be considered in the design.

The request for bridge proposals requires that a design-build process be utilized in order to meet the goal of completing the bridge by the end of 2008. Time constraints may limit the possibility of some structure types; however, MnDOT is requiring that the new bridge complement the historic arch bridges adjacent to it (3rd Ave, 10th Ave and Stone Arch).

Because of the tight timeline for design-build, citizens will have limited opportunities to influence the design of the bridge. MnDOT has held several public meetings and will continue to hold them throughout the process. These meetings offer an opportunity for members of the public to request what they would like to see in a new bridge, and there will likely be some opportunity to comment on proposed visual enhancements for the bridge once the design-build team is selected later this month.

Recent news coverage of this issue

• New 35W span: Functional/pretty? — Star Tribune, 8 September 2007
• Join the debate online: How important a role should aesthetics play when MNDOT selects the team to build the replacement span? discussion at the Star Tribune web site.
• Push begins to give I-35W bridge a landmark look by Pam Louwagie and Jim Foti — Star Tribune,
• 27 August 2007
• A fleeting opportunity for beauty by Linda Mack — Star Tribune,
• 26 August 2007