“We did have a structural failure of one of the bridge spans,” said Anoka Copunty Enginneer Doug Fischer. “What people may not realize is that this bridge actually is a 34-span structure.”
One span goes over Coon Creek, while 33 other spans of the bridge cover soil that was unsuitable for a highway. One of these spans failed.
The damage was found by an alert highway department employee.
“One of our construction supervisors was driving down the road, went over the bridge, and felt and heard a thump that wasn’t normal,” said Fischer.
The employee reported that something might not be right, and after investigating, the highway department determined there was a failure.
This bridge had a life expectancy of 75 years, but this failure occurred much earlier. The bridge was built in 2001.
As soon as the failure was detected, a specialized excavator designed to work in winter temperatures was brought in to open up space under the bridge to determine the extent of the damage. Now the highway department is busy working on a fix.
“We are looking at a just temporary fix right now to get this open as soon as we can.”
The eastbound lanes of the bridge are expected to remain open throughout the repair. But westbound traffic will need to take the posted detour or another route which avoids the area completely. The entire bridge will undergo an inspection and it will be determined if additional retrofitting is needed on additional bridge spans in the future.
