Funds approved to rehab the Camden Bridge in 2010
07/01/2009
The City of Minneapolis' request for $10 million in American Recovery & Reinvestment Act funding to rehabilitate the Camden Bridge has been approved by the Metropolitan Council. The City prioritized the Camden Bridge project for economic recovery funding because of the impact the project would have on the region, in terms of creating jobs and modernizing public infrastructure.
The Camden Bridge rehabilitation is expected to begin in early 2010, and it is estimated that the project will create about 90 construction jobs once work begins. The work will add 35 years to the life of the bridge. The work will happen concurrently with Hennepin County's complete reconstruction of the Lowry Avenue Bridge, so Minneapolis will maintain traffic flow across the Camden Bridge during construction.
"We have been waiting years for this project to happen, so it's great to have the funding expedited so we can do the work now," said City Council President Barb Johnson. "The Camden Bridge is an important link between neighborhoods in North and Northeast Minneapolis, and by taking care of it now, we can avoid more expensive fixes down the road."
Built in 1975, the Camden Bridge has deteriorated to the point that it is need of repairs to maintain public safety. The current bridge has "fracture critical" pin and hanger connections which should be replaced. The traffic rails have deteriorated such that they require replacement. If the improvements to the bridge are not made, it will continue deteriorating, making rehabilitation exponentially more expensive and possibly creating a situation where rehabilitation would not be cost effective, necessitating a much costlier full bridge replacement (the estimated cost for bridge replacement is $110 million).
The rehabilitation will include replacement of expansion joints, full deck replacement, a new drainage system, replacement of approach panels, crash railing, sidewalks, pedestrian railings, and repainting. The completed project will also save Minneapolis maintenance costs into the future. Currently, city crews spend approximately a month on deck patching and painting the bridge each year.