Martin Olav Sabo Bridge

Martin Olav Sabo Bridge
The Martin Olav Sabo Bridge viewed from the south, from around 28th Street.
Coordinates44°57′17″N 93°14′33″W / 44.9547°N 93.2425°W / 44.9547; -93.2425
CarriesPedestrian and bicycle
CrossesMinnesota State Highway 55 (Hiawatha Avenue) and METRO Blue Line
LocaleMinneapolis
Official nameMartin Olav Sabo Bridge
Maintained byMinneapolis Public Works
Characteristics
Designcable-stayed suspension
Total length2,200 feet (671 m)
Height100 feet (30 m)
Longest span220 feet (67 m)
History
OpenedRibbon cutting November 8, 2007, at 4:00PM CDT
Location
Map
Downtown Minneapolis and the Martin Olav Sabo Bridge from the Hiawatha Avenue bridge over Lake Street, on the METRO Blue Line light rail train.

The Martin Olav Sabo Bridge is a bridge in the city of Minneapolis and the first cable-stayed suspension bridge in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Formerly the Midtown Greenway Pedestrian Bridge, it was renamed in honor of former Representative Martin Olav Sabo, a fourteen-term member of Congress from Minnesota.

Opened and dedicated in November 2007, the bridge crosses Hiawatha Avenue (Trunk Highway 55) north of 28th Street East and just south of 26th Street East, joining Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Minneapolis Midtown Greenway at Hiawatha Avenue, allowing a continuous biking connection across the city. The bridge also links Longfellow community (Longfellow and Seward neighborhoods) to Phillips community (East Phillips neighborhood), and connects users to the north-south Hiawatha LRT Trail and Little Earth Trail.

The bridge was built by Hennepin County and transferred to the City of Minneapolis, which owns and maintains the bridge.[1]

The bridge was closed on February 20, 2012 when two of the cables that support the bridge fell due to cracks in their attachment points; additional significant cracks were subsequently found in two other support plates. The bridge, supported with temporary bracing, was reopened June 1, 2012. A summary report of the failure analysis released June 8, 2012 determined that unaccounted for wind-induced cable vibrations led to the failures of the attachment points. The bridge was again closed for repairs on September 23, 2012.[2] Repairs were completed, and the bridge reopened, on November 19, 2012.[3]

  1. ^ "Bridges". Midtown Greenway Coalition. 2008. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  2. ^ Adams, Jim (September 23, 2012). "Sabo pedestrian/bike bridge closed for repairs". Star Tribune. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  3. ^ Brandt, Steve (November 20, 2012). "Sabo Bridge reopens after repairs". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 20, 2013.