MINNEAPOLIS — Starting next week the downtown side of the Stone Arch Bridge will be closed as repairs continue on the popular walking path.
Work began in April, with crews repairing and replacing stone, replacing the mortar on the entire bridge, and making other repairs as needed. According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), this work will slow deterioration and improve the conditions of the bridge.
While the bridge is being worked on, people can still walk and bike halfway across. The first side to close was the St. Anthony Main side, which will be reopening after the downtown side closes on Dec. 2.
The Stone Arch Bridge was built in the 1880s by James J. Hill’s Great Northern Railroad. At its peak, it brought 80 passenger trains a day to Union Station, according to the Minneapolis Parks Board. Ownership of the bridge was transferred to Hennepin County in the 1990s and it was converted to a pedestrian and bicycle path.
The downtown side will be closed through the fall of 2025, and MnDOT anticipates work being done and the bridge reopening by the spring of 2026.
