Lyndale Avenue Bridge

Lyndale Avenue Bridge over I-494

Updated Novemeber 2, 2009
The New Lyndale Avenue Bridge is now open to traffic. The bridge was opened late Saturday afternoon on October 31, 2009. The bridge is completed except for a few minor punch list items. Completion of these punch list items will not affect the traffic on the bridge.

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

UPDATE September 30, 2009
The contractor continue to pave the bridge deck.  The concrete overlay of the bridge should be completed by the end of this week.  Otherwise the new Lyndale Avenue bridge is coming along and the schedule for opening for traffic is set for the end of October 2009.

Click here to see pictures

UPDATE Dec. 31, 2008

Please be advised of the following updates regarding the reconstruction of the I-494/Lyndale Ave interchange:

LYNDALE AVENUE BRIDGE CLOSURE ON JANUARY 2nd, 2009

JANUARY 2 - JANUARY 5, 2009:

* Lyndale Ave and the freeway ramps will close starting at 3 AM on Friday, January 2nd  Lyndale Ave between American Blvd and 77th St. will remain closed until the project is completed.

* I-494 will be closed between I-35W and Cedar Ave (Highway 77) starting at 9pm January 2nd.  Vehicles traveling WB on I-494 will be allowed to access the 12th Ave and Nicollet Ave interchanges without taking the detour route.  One lane of traffic will be provided on I-494 between Cedar Ave and Nicollet to in order to provide this access. 

* The contractor will begin demolition of the bridge at 9pm Jan 2nd.  The demolition process will continue throughout the night and the remainder of the weekend.  The process will involve the use of backhoe mounted jack-hammers.  Significant noise and construction activity should be expected. 

* I-494 will re-open by 5AM Jan 5th.

AFTER JANUARY 5, 2009:

* Construction activity will continue on the retaining walls and the rough grading of the site.

* Beginning January 9th, the contractor will begin the process of driving piling for the new bridge.  This will create noticeable noise in the vicinity of the project site as a result of the pile hammering process.  The contractor will be working Monday - Friday 7AM - 5PM during the pile driving process.  Depending on the project progress, the contractor may drive pile on Saturdays.  If that is the case, the pile driving will occur within the noise ordinances established in the Cities of Richfield and Bloomington for construction activity.  The pile driving process is scheduled to be completed in early May. 

For information on detour routes, please visit the following project websites:

MNDOT

CITY OF BLOOMINGTON

The project remains on schedule with a target completion date in November 2009. 

NEW LYNDALE AVENUE BRIDGE PROJECT BROCHURE

Lyndale Avenue Bridge Brochure

Update Nov. 12, 2008

Eastbound 494 Exit Ramp to Lyndale Avenue Reopens

The exit ramp from eastbound 494 onto Lyndale Avenue is now open. This temporary ramp will remain open until January 2, 2009 when the entire Lyndale Avenue Bridge and its ramps to and from I-494 will be removed. The temporary ramp was built to allow customers to have access to the businesses in the area of 77^th Street and Lyndale Avenue during the 2008 Christmas shopping season.

The project is now working in Stage 2 of construction. For information regarding Stage 2 of this project, please refer to our Lyndale Avenue/494 brochure. If you do not have a copy of this brochure, you can find one at the web address listed above. The brochure shows people how to use detours to get to various businesses in the 77^th Street and Lyndale Avenue area.

We regret any inconvenience this may cause you and thank you for your patience during the construction of this project.

PROJECT SUMMARY

In October 2008, the Richfield City Council awarded the contract to Lunda Construction of Black River Falls, Wisconsin to build the new Lyndale Avenue Bridge over I-494. Construction will begin in October 2008. However, the existing bridge will not be torn down until early January 2009. Completion of the new bridge is expected to occur in November 2009.

The new Lyndale Bridge will have several aesthetic features, such as street lights on the bridge, shrubs and sidewalks on the north side islands, a railing placed along the sidewalks, and landscaping in all four corners of the bridge.

The proposed design will allow for flexibility that will permit several design options in the future that will provide access to and from I-35W from Lyndale Avenue when I-494 is completely rebuilt. At this time no layout that provides access to and from I-35W meets all of the state of Minnesota?s design criteria.

PROJECT SCHEDULE

• Construction began on October 1, 2008.

• Demolition of the old bridge will occur in January 2009.

• Completion of the new bridge is expected in November 2009.

RAMP CLOSURES (SUBJECT TO CHANGE BY CONTRACTOR)

The Southeast Lyndale entrance ramp to eastbound I-494 will close October 6, 2008 and remain closed until November 2009

The Southwest Lyndale exit ramp from eastbound I-494 will close October 6, 2008 and reopen November 13, 2008. It will close again on January 2, 2009 and remain closed until November 2009.

The Northwest Lyndale entrance ramp to westbound I-494 and the Northeast Lyndale exit ramp from westbound I-494 will close January 2, 2009 and remain closed until November 2009.

IMAGES

Image on the left is a detail of the bridge. Image on the right shows the bridge and approach to I-494 and I-35W