Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

2007/08/01 1900

Kurt believes we’re both OK. The bridge collapse was just north of downtown, you’d take it to go north from downtown. They’ve been doing some resurfacing work in both directions in the last month that brought it from 3 lanes to 2 both directions. So it can be congested and is best avoided during rush hour.

Barb was working downtown today but left a message here at home that she was leaving work around 1710. She was running errands tonight but nothing that should take her north of town. We’ve got everything we need in SW Mpls.

Kurt had a hot slot, blowing glass at Foci in NE Minneapolis from 1400-1700. I took the bridge north to get to Foci, the traffic wasn’t bad at 1330. I’ve been taking alternate routes to avoid the congestion, but in the off-hours I figured why not try it. After my scheduled time with partner Julie, I stayed another hour or so to watch Todd Cameron finish a piece and assist just a little. Then I figured why not try 35W again, if nothing else to find our how bad it got during rush hour (or just after). It wasn’t too bad going south. You get on 35W southbound within a mile of the bridge and it wasn’t too stacked up all the way through (here’s the route, if the link works). 15 mph across the bridge southbound. Northbound was definitely slower/stopped. The rush of northbound cars from downtown funnels into it. My lane had to stop and wait while the pickup in front of me pulled over and backed up into the construction lane on the bridge. They were still working on the resurfacing when I went through. I’m not sure when exactly I was on the bridge, but I think it was after six. I know, based on traffic, that I was confident of making it home before 1830 because things were moving reasonably well. I’ve been lucky before, this one is right up there.

There is another bridge standing that parallels 35W, you’ll see it in the TV shots. A few hundred yards to the east. It’s the 10^th avenue bridge that connects the east and west banks of the University.