Location
- St. Paul
Schedule
- Construction 2011 - 2015
Description
- Replace the Lafayette Bridge crossing the Mississippi River east of downtown St. Paul; modify bridges over I-94 and realign adjoining roadways; redeck the Plato Blvd and Eaton Street bridges and resurface the Concord Street bridge.
Summary
Lafayette Bridge animation video
Traffic updates
- We need to build a crossover from the existing Lafayette Bridge to the new northbound bridge, currently under construction. By late Spring 2013, no vehicle combinations of more than 35 feet in length will be allowed to use the Lafayette Bridge north of Plato Boulevard (PDF, 310 KB) until the crossover is removed and no longer needed, in early 2014.
- Two lanes of traffic will remain open in both directions for vehicles. Emergency vehicles and school buses will be permitted to use the bridge.
- More information will appear here on this website as it becomes available.
Permanently closed:
- Eastbound East 7th Street ramp to westbound I-94 is permanently closed.
- 5th Street: Closed east of Johns Street and no longer exists as a street.
- 4th Street: Closed to vehicles. Bicyclists have access to Bruce Vento trail by way of 4th Street.
- Kittson Street north of 7th street no longer exists. It will be the new NB Hwy 52 to 7th Street Exit.
- Kittson Street south of the Downtowner and Holiday Station no longer exists.
Project details
When completed, the two new bridges (northbound and southbound) each will provide two through-lanes and an auxiliary lane in each direction for entering and exiting traffic. The project also includes the modification and realignment of the Hwy 52 bridges over I-94 and re-decking of the Hwy 52 bridges south of the Mississippi River spanning Plato Boulevard and Eaton Street along with repairs and resurfacing the bridges crossing Concord Street. A pedestrian and bicycle crossing over the river on the northbound bridge is included in the plans. The project limits stretch along Hwy 52 from East Seventh Street to just south of Plato Boulevard.
- The new northbound Hwy 52 Lafayette Bridge will be constructed 2011-2013.
- Traffic will be switched to the new bridge late in 2013 and the new bridge will continue to maintain two lanes of traffic in each direction.
- The existing Lafayette Bridge will be demolished, and the new southbound Hwy 52 Bridge will be constructed in 2014-2015.
- Motorists will experience ramp closures during construction but Hwy 52 will remain open for the full construction period
What we've been doing
- The north and south abutments and all thirteen new piers for the new northbound bridge are completed.
- Retaining wall construction continues on the north side of the river. The retaining walls on the south side of the river are finished. Painting of these walls will begin later this year.
- Northbound Hwy 52 is paved between Plato Boulevard to within 400 feet of the abutment for the new northbound bridge. The new bypass from these new lanes to the existing bridge is finished and open to traffic.
- Work on the northbound Concord Street, Eaton Street and Plato Boulevard bridges is complete. Work on northbound Hwy 52 is complete and re-opened to two lanes.
- New ramps for the 7th Street Exit, westbound I-94 and eastbound I-94 are now open.
- Storm water sewer work is finished on both sides of the river, except for Loop A (northbound Hwy 52 to westbound I-94) and building the south and north retention ponds.
- The north end of the new exit from Hwy 52 to 7th Street is paved is open. This exit provides access to parking lots for Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the state Department of Natural Resources and Minnesota Department of Human Services buildings.