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Highways, Byways, And Bridge Photography
Minnehaha Parkway Bridge (#1)
Minnehaha Creek Parkway Crossing
Minneapolis, MN

Minnehaha Parkway Bridge (#1)

• Structure ID: NBI 27192.
• Location: River Mile 0.4.
• River Elevation: 804 Feet.
• Structure Type: Street Bridge.
• Construction: Prestressed Concrete Slab.
• Length: 112 Feet, 54 Foot Longest Span.
• Width: 28 Feet, 2 Lanes.
• Height Above Water: ??? Feet.
• Date Built: 2000.
This bridge is the easternmost of six bridges that carry Minnehaha Parkway over the Minnehaha Creek. The original bridge at this location was built in 1924 as the parkway was developed in the mid-1920s. It was low concrete girder bridge that measured 38 feet long and 52 feet wide. The parkway merged from two roadways into a single roadway at this location, and the bridge was aligned with the westbound roadway.

The 1924 era bridge was at the wrong elevation to work with the master plan for the light rail and highway improvements being planned for the 1999 and 2000 construction season. That plan called for roof to be built over Hiawatha Avenue to carry Minnehaha Park over the LRT and highway MN-55. Minnehaha Parkway would travel through the park on top of the roof rather than intersecting with Hiawatha Avenue. Since the roadway would be 20 feet higher, a new higher bridge was required. The new bridge was built just south of the old bridge so it would like up with the center of the parkway rather than being in line with the westbound lanes. Finally, the new bridge was built almost three times along, allowing it to completely span the creek and the wetlands on the east side of the creek.

The photo above is a profile view of the Minnehaha Parkway Bridge as seen from the west back of the Minnehaha Creek looking to the northeast.


Minnehaha Parkway Bridge (#1)
These two photos are looking upstream towards the south face of the Minnehaha Parkway Bridge. The photo above is a wider view that shows the park and canoe landing, while the photo below is a view of the main bridge spans. This canoe landing is the end of the canoe route on the creek due to a dam and falls located just downstream.

Minnehaha Parkway Bridge (#1)
Minnehaha Parkway Bridge (#1)
These two photos are looking west down the length of the bridge deck from the south side of Minnehaha Parkway. The photo above is a wider view of the entire bridge deck, while the photo below is a closer view looking down the downstream sidewalk.

Minnehaha Parkway Bridge (#1)
Minnehaha Parkway Bridge (#1)
The photo above is walking upstream on the trail along the creek as it passes under the Minnehaha Parkway Bridge. The photo below is a view from under the bridge looking west from the trail.

Minnehaha Parkway Bridge (#1)
Minnehaha Parkway Bridge (#1)
The photo above is a view looking west down the south face of the Minnehaha Parkway Bridge. The photo below is the opposite view, looking east along the south face of the structure.

Minnehaha Parkway Bridge (#1)

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