Urgent cycling request for Old Cedar Ave Bridge

[SPR]

I am reprinting an email I received this evening. The email is from Gary Sjoquist. If you can help and need Gary’s contact info please PM me.

I need to find cyclists who would be using the Old Cedar Bridge, if it was usable for cycling, to get to work or home. There's been a bill introduced in the Minnesota legislature, and on this Thursday at 12:30, in Room 15 at the Capitol, there will public testimony heard about this bill. This is really important - if this bill gets support, there will be funding set aside to replace the Old Cedar Bridge and provide for a replacement. It would be best if the people who testify are cyclists directly affected by this missing link, i.e. they have to ride miles out of the way to get to work or home because this bridge is not usable.
Please have any cyclist who could come to the Capitol to provide testimony in support of this bill on Thursday contact me.
Thanks......Gary

[ebrandel]

Anyone got a google maps shot of where this bridge is? I wouldn't ever need it for work, I guess, but depending on where it is I might be able to take it home from Lebanon or something :)

[bigwheel]

Eric, The Cedar Ave Bridge is where 77 (Cedar Ave) crosses the MN river.

There is a nice, well-built bikeway underneath of the big bridge. It used to drop you off on old Cedar Ave, but the causeway across the meadows has rotted away, so they closed it down.

This is/was pretty much the only way to go from Eagan-Burnsville to Bloomington. Once the bridge was closed off, you had to go all the way over to the 494 crossing, then double back, or go all the way out to the Bloomington Ferry Bridge. From the perspective of many bike commuters, this was a show-stopper.

Similarly, for those people living in Minneapolis or Bloomington, this is the only feasible route for biking to places like Leb, Terrace Oaks, etc. or going to anywhere in Eagan-Burnsville-Apple Valley via bike.

For bikers, this is a main route to get south of the MN river. It would be great if it gets re-opened. I'm delighted to hear the prospects of this bridge re-opening.

[mara]

I can't get to the capitol on Thursday ( my boss has weird ideas about me working during work :) ) but if a letter of support would help, please let me know.

[dopey048]

Bob, you are right on with my situation of why I don't ride to work. Going out of the way to cross the river is not really worth it, just adds too many miles.

I would be very happy if the bridge were replaced. Unfortunately I can't get off of work to support.

[SPR]

I can't get to the capitol on Thursday ( my boss has weird ideas about me working during work :) ) but if a letter of support would help, please let me know.
Hey Mara I'm in the same boat at work. Anyhow sorry I don't have more info than what was in the email. I will PM you Gary's contact info as he would better answer this.
Thanks

[bigwheel]

I guess I might as well ask: What is the best route from here:
http://maps.yahoo.com/index.php#mvt=h&q1=44.882573%2C-93.170418&trf=0&lon=-93.169534&lat=44.883653&mag=3
to Leb?

I don't want to hijack this important thread. But I'd probably take the 13 trail to Mendota Hts Road, to Pilot Knob (bike the sidewalk/bike trail), to Yankee Dootle (sidewalk/trail) to Blue Cross to Blackhawk Road to Cliff to Johnny Cake.

There are probably better routes, but you'll find out more by starting a separate thread.

[bigwheel]

Hey Mara I'm in the same boat at work. Anyhow sorry I don't have more info than what was in the email. I will PM you Gary's contact info as he would better answer this.
Thanks

Roger/Mara/anyone,

If you find out someone to send a letter of support to, please post it. The Cedar Ave route will open up a lot of biking to/from the south metro, so it is certainly worth a show of support, even if we can't be there in person.

[mara]

I'll post up what I hear back.

[Don Youngdahl]

Eric, The Cedar Ave Bridge is where 77 (Cedar Ave) crosses the MN river.

Just a little clarification on the bridge location. It can be confusing. The bridge is about 1/4 mile north of where Hwy 77 crosses the Minnesota river, and a few hundred yards west of Hwy 77. The old Cedar Ave Bridge actually crosses Long Medow Lake, which lies to the north of the river.

Bicycles & pedestrians can cross the river on the footbridge attached mostly to the east side of the Hwy 77 bridge. If I had the time right now, I'd post a google or mapquest link.

[steef]

There's a foot bridge attached to the East side of the 77 bridge? I never knew that. However, I have only ridden that bridge going southbound.

[Don Youngdahl]

There's a foot bridge attached to the East side of the 77 bridge? I never knew that. However, I have only ridden that bridge going southbound.

Yes, the foot/bicycle bridge only crosses the Minnesota River, but not all the way across long Meado Lake. In their great wisdom and foresight when they built the 77 bridge, MNDOT assumed the old Cedar Avenue bridge would stand forever to provide access across Long Meadow Lake.:cryin:

[qheuie]

Just a little clarification on the bridge location. It can be confusing. The bridge is about 1/4 mile north of where Hwy 77 crosses the Minnesota river, and a few hundred yards west of Hwy 77. The old Cedar Ave Bridge actually crosses Long Medow Lake, which lies to the north of the river.

Bicycles & pedestrians can cross the river on the footbridge attached mostly to the east side of the Hwy 77 bridge. If I had the time right now, I'd post a google or mapquest link.

I hope these work.
Click on "Aerial view" and zoom out a step or two...

You can see the foot bridge right next to the highway on the east side.

footbridge - south end
http://local.live.com/?v=2&sp=Point.rg3zrg76xrvr_footbridge%2520-%2520south%2520end___


old cedar bridge - south end
http://local.live.com/?v=2&sp=Point.rg4g9276wy9z_old%2520cedar%2520bridge%252 0-%2520south%2520end___

[ebrandel]

I hope these work.
Click on "Aerial view" and zoom out a step or two...

You can see the foot bridge right next to the highway on the east side.

footbridge - south end
http://local.live.com/?v=2&sp=Point.rg3zrg76xrvr_footbridge%2520-%2520south%2520end___


old cedar bridge - south end
http://local.live.com/?v=2&sp=Point.rg4g9276wy9z_old%2520cedar%2520bridge%252 0-%2520south%2520end___


Ahh... yes, that's very helpful. And wow... switch to the Bird's Eye view! Amazing picture quality and you can zoom all the way in.

[ryno lite]

Yes, the foot/bicycle bridge only crosses the Minnesota River, but not all the way across long Meado Lake. In their great wisdom and foresight when they built the 77 bridge, MNDOT assumed the old Cedar Avenue bridge would stand forever to provide access across Long Meadow Lake.:cryin:

Wow, that is some amazing planning! I've never heard of anything like that before!