Third Avenue Bridge (Minneapolis)

Third Avenue Bridge
Third Avenue Bridge spanning the Mississippi, viewed from the northwest.
Coordinates	44°59′00″N 93°15′32″W / 44.98333°N 93.25889°W / 44.98333; -93.25889Coordinates: 44°59′00″N 93°15′32″W / 44.98333°N 93.25889°W / 44.98333; -93.25889
Carries	Four lanes of MN 65
Crosses	Mississippi River
Locale	Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Maintained by	Minnesota Department of Transportation
ID number	2440
Characteristics
Design	Open-spandrel concrete arch bridge
Total length	2223 feet
Width	54 feet
Longest span	211 feet
Clearance below	42 feet
History
Opened	1918
Third Avenue Bridge
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Third Avenue Bridge Location in Minnesota Third Avenue Bridge Location in United States Show map of MinnesotaShow map of the United StatesShow all
Built	1914-1918
Architectural style	Melan arch bridge, open spandrel
Part of	St. Anthony Falls Historic District (ID71000438)
Designated CP	March 11, 1971
Location

The Third Avenue Bridge is a landmark structure of the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, originally known as the St. Anthony Falls Bridge. It carries road traffic across the Mississippi River and upper fringes of Saint Anthony Falls. The multi-arched bridge meets with Third Avenue in downtown Minneapolis at its south end, but curves as it crosses the river, and connects with Central Avenue on its north end. The shallow "S" curve in the bridge was built to avoid fractures in the limestone bedrock that supports the bridge piers. The road is also designated Minnesota State Highway 65. Construction began in 1914, and it opened four years later in 1918.^[1] The bridge, which uses Melan arches of an open spandrel design, has been modified since that time. The 2,223-foot (667.6 m) crossing was designed by city engineer Frederick W. Cappelen, who also created plans for other similar bridges in Minneapolis such as the Franklin Avenue Bridge. It cost US$862,254.00 at the time of construction.^[1]

Renovation[]

The bridge underwent a major overhaul in 1979–1980. Another restoration is underway to extend its life 50 years with a new deck, and other improvements to barriers, railings, and lighting. As the bridge is a contributing member of the St. Anthony Falls Historic District, a goal of the project is preserving its historic design elements. The construction project began in May 2020 with partial closure of the bridge and is scheduled to be complete in November 2022 at an estimated cost of $129.3 million. On January 4, 2021, the bridge was fully closed to traffic and will remain closed for the duration of construction.^[2] The project is being led by Burnsville-based Ames Construction.^[3]

3rd Avenue Bridge crossing the Mississippi River into downtown Minneapolis.

See also[]

• List of crossings of the Upper Mississippi River

Notes[]

References[]

• Bridges 2005: Third Avenue Bridge - Saint Anthony Main .
• Third Avenue Bridge - Minneapolis Riverfront District Bridges 2005.
• Costello, Mary Charlotte (2002). Climbing the Mississippi River Bridge by Bridge, Volume Two: Minnesota. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications. ISBN 0-9644518-2-4.

External links[]

Media related to Third Avenue Bridge (Minneapolis) at Wikimedia Commons