The Minnesota Department of Transportation held a preconstruction
conference this morning with Lunda Construction, prime contractor
for the Highway
23 Mississippi River bridge project, on bridge demolition
and construction.
Demolition Schedule
The demolition of the bridge is scheduled to
begin on Monday, Aug 25, pending contract approval. Crews will
begin work by installing security fences, constructing river access
on the southeast side of the river and removing the railing and
lighting off the deck. The existing bridge deck will be removed,
by sections, which should take about two months.
Bridge work will continue during the winter months. Lunda crews
expect to have substructure piers in place by May 2009 to begin
placement of steel truss beams. The bridge will be opened to
four lanes of traffic by November 2009 and be completed by June
2010.
Traffic Impacts
At 7:00 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 25, Riverside Avenue will close
to traffic at the bridge. Motorists should follow signed detour.
Motorists are also asked to slow down and watch for trucks
hauling materials away from the bridge. Please join MnDOT in
a safety partnership.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Path Restrictions
Effective, Aug. 25, bikers and pedestrians will
no longer be allowed to access or cross the bridge. For safety
reasons, the bike and pedestrian paths on both sides of the bridge
are also closed during this work. A signed detour route will be
provided.
Project Detour Continues
Westbound Highway 23 traffic is detoured onto
Lincoln Avenue, St. Germain Street and Fourth Avenue. Eastbound
Highway 23 traffic should follow the signed detour on Fourth Avenue,
St. Germain Street and Wilson Avenue.
Semitrailer drivers are encouraged to continue to use a signed
truck route around St. Cloud to alleviate local congestion. The
route is via Highway 15, Benton County Road 29 and Highway 10.
River Navigation
Boat traffic will be maintained during this project.
For safety reasons, river navigation at the bridge may be closed
for short periods of time during demolition.
Noise Ordinance
Lunda crews will observe the city of St. Cloud's
noise ordinance, which restricts noise levels between the hours
of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. In special situations, a variance may be
approved by the city council.
City Monument
The monument at the west end of the bridge will
be removed. The three engraved plaques will be removed from the
cement base, repaired and stored by the city until the bridge
work is completed.
Receive Project Updates
To subscribe to e-mail updates for the Highway
23 Downtown St. Cloud construction project, visit www.mndot.gov.
