Hennepin County closes Lowry span, hopes to speed up replacement

Hennepin County closed the Lowry Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River on April 25 as a safety precaution. In 2004, bridge engineers discovered one of the bridges piers had rotated 11 inches out of vertical alignment. Further rotation introduced an unreasonable risk to the traveling public, the County said. County engineers, in consultation with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, determined the bridge should be closed until it can be replaced.

The Lowry Avenue Bridge carried Hennepin County Highway 153 over the Mississippi River between north and northeast Minneapolis. Built in 1905, the bridge was substantially renovated in 1958. Construction of a replacement for the current Lowry Avenue Bridge is scheduled to begin next year, with completion in 2011.

The County Board approved the Lowry Avenue Bridge replacement project as its No. 1 state bonding request in summer 2006. The total estimated replacement project is approximately $109 million. Funding sources for the project include Hennepin County State Aid and State of Minnesota local bridge bonds. Federal funding is also being pursued.

More information on the Lowry Avenue Bridge Replacement Project can be found at www.lowryavenuebridge.com.