Edina Bridge Project May Skip Stairs Due to Budget
The City of Edina's planned pedestrian bridge replacement over Highway 62 will likely not include stairs due to budget constraints, according to a recent city update.
The $6 million in state funding allocated for the new ADA-compliant bridge at Rosland Park covers only basic construction with ramps, Engineering Director Chad Milner said at a city council meeting earlier this month. The project architect Snow Kryik has designed a steel truss bridge clad in wood slats.
We're right at that budget number right now with just a little bit of contingency for those unknown things that we always find during construction," Milner said. "We're still going to get a great product at the end with bridges and ramps and most likely not stairs or buried power lines.
The current bridge, built in the 1960s and owned by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, was closed for most of 2022 after being struck twice by trucks. The structure does not meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Under the replacement plan, the state will transfer ownership and maintenance responsibilities to the city.
Design work is approximately 30 percent complete, allowing the city to begin detailed discussions with MnDOT about construction specifications including height, location and staging. If final approvals are secured this year, the city could begin accepting construction bids in 2026.
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Update on Pedestrian Bridge Project over Minnesota Highway 62
The city council reviewed the current status of the pedestrian bridge project, noting the $6 million state funding. Key challenges include budget limitations preventing the inclusion of stairs and the burial of overhead power lines. Emphasis was placed on ensuring ADA-compliant ramps and leveraging architectural design to create an iconic gateway. The city is preparing to discuss specifics like height and cladding with Mindot, with bids for construction expected in 2026 pending final approvals.
We're right at that budget number right now with just a little bit of contingency for those unknown things that we always find during construction. Could be soils, could be other construction contingencies that we see. A little bit more expensive than we had liked, but we're still going to get a great product at the end with bridges and ramps and most likely not stairs or buried power lines.
Source document
[Music] Welcome to Agenda Edina, a program summarizing the actions taken at city hall that affect you most. I'm your host, Dorothia Marty. A new pedestrian bridge over Minnesota Highway 62 will likely not have stairs to accompany its ADA compliant ramps. This is unless the project comes in greatly under budget or another funding source is secured. The current bridge was built in the 1960s and is owned and managed by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The bridge currently does not meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and was closed for most of 2022 after it was struck twice by trucks traveling below on the highway. The state will provide $6 million in funding for the new bridge, which would then be given to the city to own and maintain. Designs for the bridge, which drops into Rosland Park, are about 30% complete and far enough along for the city to begin discussions with Mindot about the details, including height, location, construction, staging, and architectural cladding or covering. The cladding is particularly important to some members of the city council who would like the bridge to serve as an iconic gateway into the community. Designs by project architect Snow Kryik feature a steel truss bridge clad in wood slats. At a city council meeting earlier this month, engineering director Chad Milner said the $6 million will not cover the cost of stairs or bury nearby overhead power lines. We're right at that budget number right now with just a little bit of contingency for those unknown things that we always find during construction. Could be soils, could be other construction contingencies that we see. A little bit more expensive than we had liked, but we're still going to get a great product at the end with bridges and ramps and most likely not stairs or buried power lines. If final approvals are given this year, the city could move forward with obtaining bids for construction in 2026.
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Pedestrian Bridge Project over Minnesota Highway 62
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