Stone Arch Bridge May Close If Emergency Funding Not Granted

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — The historic James J. Hill Stone Arch Bridge may close this summer unless the Minnesota Department of Transportation receives the funds needed to repair it.

“We need an estimated $13 million to repair and restore the Stone Arch Bridge,” MnDot commissioner Charlie Zelle said in a statement. “Built in the 1880s, the bridge is a historic structure that needs ongoing attention to ensure it stays in good working order.

Transit officials say the funding will pay for the work to monitor it as well as provide significant restoration to ensure the bridge’s longevity.

Zelle said that if there is no legislative funding for the bridge this session, MnDOT may need to close the structure because the agency will not have adequate funds to continue to inspect and maintain it.

“If this bridge were on the trunk highway system, we would have been able to prioritize its repair and rehabilitation before now,” he added.

The bridge, which undergoes annual inspections, was last inspected in August 2017.

“The longer we wait, we risk continued deterioration and significantly more expensive repairs. The time to act is now.”

The bridge was built between 1881 and 1883 to carry the Minneapolis Union Railroad over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Today it serves as a pedestrian trail.

The bridge is located within the St. Anthony Falls Historic District and is designated a National Historic Engineering Landmark.

Image via Shutterstock