I-35W Minnesota River bridge

I-35W Minnesota River Bridge
Coordinates	44°48′0″N 93°17′24″W / 44.80000°N 93.29000°W / 44.80000; -93.29000
Carries	Eight Lanes of I-35W;
Crosses	Minnesota River
Locale	Bloomington, Minnesota and Burnsville, Minnesota
Maintained by	Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT)
ID number	NBI 27W38 (Northbound), 27W39 (Southbound)
Characteristics
Design	Steel Continuous-Beam Span
Total length	1,361.5 feet (415 m)
Width	170.0 feet (52 m)
Longest span	385.0 feet (117 m)
No. of spans	2
No. of lanes	8
History
Construction start	2018
Construction end	2021
Construction cost	$147,600,000
Opened	2019
Statistics
Daily traffic	54,500
Location

The I-35W Minnesota River Bridge connects the counties of Hennepin and Dakota, and the cities of Bloomington and Burnsville, over the Minnesota River. The bridge has eight lanes, four lanes in each direction. Inner lanes are MnPass HOV lanes, and a walking/bicycling path is located on the east side of the northbound span.^[1][2] The bridge is 1,361 feet (415 m) long, and 170 feet (52 m) wide.^[3]

1960-2018 I-35W Minnesota River bridge
Coordinates	44°48′01″N 93°17′24″W / 44.8003°N 93.29°W / 44.8003; -93.29
Carries	four southbound and three northbound lanes of I-35W
Crosses	Minnesota River
Locale	Dakota and Hennepin counties
Maintained by	Minnesota Department of Transportation
ID number	5983[4]
Characteristics
Design	Plate girder bridge
Total length	1,446 feet (441 m)
Width	103 feet (31 m) (seven traffic lanes)
Clearance below	54 feet (16 m)
History
Opened	1960
Closed	2018

This bridge replaced a seven-lane steel girder bridge, constructed in 1960 by the Minnesota Highway Department. When it was built, it replaced a former bridge, located just to the east of the current bridge site, that carried US 65. Approaches to the former bridge had issues with flooding, with a 1965 flood putting the causeway just south of the bridge completely underwater. MnPass lanes were added in 2009.^[5]