The full length of Minneapolis’ Stone Arch Bridge is set to reopen to the public Aug. 9 following more than a year of repairs.
The bridge, a popular pedestrian link across the Mississippi River between downtown Minneapolis and the St. Anthony Main area, has been closed in halved sections since spring 2024 for an upgrade. It will reopen with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring food trucks and other entertainment on hand, according to Amber Blanchard, the manager for major projects at the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Full details on the celebration are expected to be released Wednesday.
The northern half of the bridge closed in April 2024 to begin the $38.5 million project to improve its structural condition, according to the Department of Transportation. That half reopened, and the southern half then closed, the following December.
The James J. Hill Stone Arch Bridge was built between 1881 and 1883 to carry the Minneapolis Union Railroad over the Mississippi River. Railroad use of the bridge ended in 1982, after which it was converted for pedestrians.
Built of limestone, the bridge is a designated National Historic Engineering Landmark.
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