City officials in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks are getting closer to a final recommendation for improving the Kennedy Bridge.
An improvement project for the bridge is scheduled for 2016, but whether it will be rehabilitated or replaced has yet to be determined, according to Earl Haugen, executive director of the cities' Metropolitan Planning Organization.
The MPO is in the middle of studying construction options for the bridge, which spans the Red River on U.S. Highway 2. It has programmed $25 million for the project, which could cover rehabilitation costs or the bridge's replacement.
As part of the study, residents from both cities were invited to open houses to comment on the project.
"You get a wide range (of responses) at these open houses," Haugen said at the organization's Technical Advisory Committee meeting Wednesday.
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About 20 people total attended the open houses held last month. Comments also were submitted to the MPO outside of the meetings.
Some voiced their support for improving the bridge's safety. Several residents campaigned for improved pedestrian and biking access on the bridge.
"Some may balk about the historic aspects of the bridge, but I would argue that that is a lower priority than walker-biker access. This will make the bridge far more functional," wrote one commenter. "As for the historic preservation crowd, perhaps you can retain some cosmetic element of the bridge as you improve its structural elements and user-friendliness."
An evaluation conducted earlier this year confirmed the bridge is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation's management plan for historic bridges, the preferred option for a bridge such as the Kennedy is to rehabilitate it.
The department has taken the lead on the Kennedy Bridge project while North Dakota's state transportation department is heading a similar study focusing on the Sorlie Bridge, on DeMers Avenue. An improvement project for that bridge is slated for 2018.
With the open house portion complete, the project's study advisory committee will begin compiling a report with the feedback, construction options, bridge inspection results and historical considerations. That report will be available to the public in November or December, according to Haugen.
Call Jewett at (701) 780-1108; (800) 477-6572, ext. 1108; or send email to bjewett@gfherald.com . Follow her on Twitter at @GFCityBeat or on her blog at citystreetbeat.areavoices.com.
