Washington Avenue Bridge | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Washington_Ave_Bridge.jpg) The Washington Avenue Bridge from the southeast | |
| Coordinates | 44°58′24″N 93°14′21″W / 44.97333°N 93.23917°W |
| Carries | Upper deck: Bicycles and pedestrians Lower deck: County Road 122, one auto lane each direction and the METRO Green Line light rail |
| Crosses | Mississippi River |
| Locale | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Maintained by | Hennepin County, Minnesota (1997–present) Minnesota Department of Transportation (1965–1997) |
| ID number | 9360 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Plate girder bridge |
| Total length | 1130 feet |
| Longest span | 251 feet |
| Clearance below | 70 feet |
| History | |
| Opened | 1965 |
| Location | |
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The Washington Avenue Bridge carries County Road 122 and the METRO Green Line light rail across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis and connects the East Bank and West Bank portions of the University of Minnesota campus. The bridge has two decks, with the lower deck designated for motor vehicle traffic and light rail trains and the upper deck used for pedestrians and bicycles (lanes specifically for bikes are on the north side). It is a utilitarian structure with simple architecture, but it has cultural significance because thousands of students, faculty, staff, and visitors walk across it every day.
Most users of the bridge get across it using some mode other than a personal automobile. Minnesota Department of Transportation traffic counts from 2007 show the bridge carried about 28,400 vehicles per day at that time.[1] However, multiple counts from 2009 indicate the bridge carried a total of 71,400 people per day when other modes were also included. The greatest single mode was still motor vehicles at 37.6%, but 32.7% used bus transit, 19.9% walked, and 9.6% used bicycles, with a remaining 0.3% using other methods such as inline skating. The bridge is a cycling hot spot and, with 6,850 riders per day, may carry more bikes than any other route in Minneapolis.[2]
In 2011, as part of construction for the METRO Green Line light rail, reconfiguration of the bridge began. The original two eastbound and westbound traffic lanes were permanently reduced to one lane eastbound and one lane westbound, using the outside lanes. The two inside (center) lanes are now dedicated to light rail. The light rail line opened on June 14, 2014.[3]
- ^ Minnesota Department of Transportation (2008). "2008 Traffic Volumes: Municipality of Minneapolis" (PDF). Retrieved April 12, 2011.
- ^ City of Minneapolis Public Works Department (April 1, 2011). "2010 Minneapolis Bicyclist and Pedestrian Count Report" (PDF). Retrieved April 12, 2011.
- ^ Metropolitan Council. "Washington Avenue Bridge: Frequently asked questions". Archived from the original on November 17, 2010. Retrieved April 12, 2011.