Other Bridges

Plymouth Avenue Bridge (1983-present)

Bridge type: concrete box girder bridge

The current Plymouth Avenue bridge employs bridge technology which was revolutionary for its time and is still quite unusual. It is built from a series of cantilevered concrete box girders, which allows faster construction without the need for wooden falsework to hold the bridge until it can support itself. Embedded in the concrete are stranded, tensioned cables which strengthen the material and resist salt corrosion. This represents the only bridge using this construction method in the state of Minnesota.

35-W bridge viewed from Stone Arch Bridge; pier from the old 10th Avenue bridge visible in foreground, 2005

Guthrie Theater “Endless Bridge” (to be opened in 2006)

Bridge type: Cantilevered truss bridge

Perhaps the most unusual bridge in the Minneapolis Riverfront District is the “endless bridge” which cantilevers out 175 feet from the north face of the new Guthrie Theater performing arts complex. Unlike the District’s other bridges, this feature serves as a dramatic architectural statement rather than as a transportation facility. The bridge, which is an extension of the shared public lobby space located between the thrust and proscenium stages, is designed to reach out symbolically and figuratively to the nearby river, offering views from a location seemingly suspended in mid-air. Instead of crossing the Mississippi, the bridge extends out toward the river, and the walkway within it inclines slightly downward, terminating in an open deck. The completed truss bridge structure will be clad on the exterior with blue panels punctured with window openings, unveiling a series of carefully framed views from the interior space.
 
The Guthrie Theater complex was designed by Ateliers Jean Nouvel with local partner Architectural Alliance; the bridge structure was engineered by Ericksen Roed. The cantilevered truss structure is supported by massive beam structures resting on bedrock and by the mass of the theater complex. When the theater complex is completed in 2006, the endless bridge will be open to the public to enjoy the views without needing to purchase a theater ticket.

For more information on the Guthrie on the River project: http://www.guthrietheater.org/act_ii/newguthrie.htm


Endless Bridge under construction, early 2005


Concept image of completed Endless Bridge