New Lafayette Bridge to include bicycle/pedestrian crossing
A computer rendering of one proposed design for the new Lafayette Bridge.
Planning for a new Lafayette Bridge in Saint Paul took an important step forward when the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) solidified its commitment to a bicycle and pedestrian crossing on the bridge last month. MnDOT project director Chris Roy confirmed to FMR the commitment to build the bicycle and pedestrian trail alongside the bridge.
The current bridge spans the river between downtown Saint Paul and the Citys West Side neighborhood, and is ranked by MnDOT as one of the largest and most critical structurally deficient bridges in the state.
On the south end of the bridge, the trail will slope downward gently to an access point at Plato Boulevard, and could allow for a future stairway down to the riverfront. Questions remain about exactly how the trail will be accessed on the bridges downtown end.
Project engineers hope to connect the trail to Fourth Street, which runs into downtown, and would connect directly to the Swede Hollow trail and Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary. Another idea under consideration is to bring an elevator down the side of the bridge to connect with the riverfront, although that may have to be funded separately. The riverfront trail there provides direct off-road access to Battle Creek Park, Lilydale Park, and historic Fort Snelling.
Similar to the I-35E crossing in St. Paul and others, the trail will be 12 feet wide. It will run along the bridges eastern (downstream) side, and be separated from traffic by a concrete wall.
The trail is another victory for advocates of river and trail access. Mike Klassen, who has worked on the project for Saint Paul Public Works, said that the process of value engineering helped focus the scope of the project, and free up resources.
Project partners slimmed down the project where it made sense. We realized we might not need or want a standard highway-width bridge approaching into downtown, since we want cars to slow down to city speeds, Klassen said. By narrowing shoulder widths somewhat, and saving money in other places, weve been able to free up money for the trail.
Friends of the Parks and Trails Director Peggy Lynch worked to assemble support for the trail, and found a successful partner in the City of St. Paul. There was a lot of hard work on the part of St. Paul to make sure we had the money to build the trail, she said.
Ensuring the trail was included wasnt easy, but Lynch said continuing efforts have paid off over the years. Lynch worked nearly a decade ago to get a similar trail on the I-35E bridge over the Mississippi between St. Paul and Lilydale.
On 35E, we really held MnDOTs feet to the fire, Lynch said. But its a different time now. Everybody on the citizen committee supported the bike and pedestrian path. In the past, highway designers focused on motorized transportation. Thats beginning to change.
Lynch is a member of the Community Advisory Committee, which is still refining options on bridge design. But the Advisory Committee has settled on some basic design parameters.
The new bridge will actually be two separate bridges one in each direction. MnDOT manager Roy notes that the surroundings meant some bridge designs like a suspension bridge wouldnt work. The bridge has to accommodate river traffic below, but has to stay low enough to stay out of the Holman Field Airport flight safety zone above, Roy noted. That limits the project to a window of about 30 feet for all the bridges elements.
The new bridge design will free up land for redevelopment along the riverfront and Farmers Market in St. Pauls Lowertown neighborhood by substantially reducing the number of piers that touch the ground. The Advisory Committee has settled on a likely box-girder bridge with V-shaped piers, several of which are designed to extend upward through the bridge deck. That space will provide striking opportunities for new public art.
The current Lafayette Bridge is one of the most critical of known structurally deficient bridges in the state.
Unlike the existing bridge, northbound traffic will enter downtown via a new Kittson Street built to the East and running parallel to the Lafayette Bridge. Eventually, the city has envisioned connecting Kittson Street as an extension of University Avenue on the north, and to the riverfront on the south.
The Community Advisory Committee continues to refine the project. Construction will begin within about two years, and MnDOT expects project completion by the end of 2014. For more information on the project, visit MnDOT's Lafeyette Bridge project page.