ST. CLOUD, Minn. - The Highway 23 Mississippi River bridge in St. Cloud is scheduled for demolition beginning Monday, Aug. 25. Crews will install security fences, construct river access on the southeast side of the river and remove the railing and lighting off the deck. The existing bridge deck will be removed, by sections, which should take about two months.

At 7 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 25, Riverside Avenue will close to traffic at the bridge. Motorists should follow signed detour. 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.

Bridge work will continue during the winter months. 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.

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.

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.

Motorists are also asked to slow down and watch for trucks hauling materials away from the bridge.

Lunda Construction of Black River Falls, Wis., is the prime contractor for this $12.2 million dollar demolition and construction project.

For more information on this project, visit the Web site at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/d3/projects/hwy23bridge/.

To subscribe to e-mail updates for the Highway 23 Downtown St. Cloud construction project, visit www.mndot.gov.