Construction crews carry on despite wild winter weather

Public presentations in full swing

Offering the public as much information as possible about the 35W Bridge Project is a priority for the Project’s developers. Project representatives have been meeting with various groups during the last couple of months to provide information and answer questions about construction activities. In addition to making numerous presentations to neighborhood groups and residents of nearby apartments and condos, project representatives recently met with Minneapolis public safety personnel and the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board.

If you would like a project representative to meet with your organization, association or business, contact Public Information Officer Amy Barrett at 612-236-6901 to make arrangements.

Construction Update

Shaft drilling continues full force

Much of the construction work through next week will be focused on shaft drilling. Using cranes equipped with large drilling rigs, crews this week have been constructing shafts that will support the bridge foundations. The first shaft was filled with concrete on Dec. 4 and crews have continued to drill and fill shafts on the north side. Drilling work also began on the south side late this week. Each shaft is from seven to eight feet wide at the top and  approximately 100 feet deep. The work will continue daily into February with the exception of periods when temperatures drop below minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Also occurring this week:

• Crews are placing forms to build the concrete footing for the south abutment (Abutment 5) which is where the pile driving took place last month.
• Set-up work continues on the casting yard on I-35W just south of the bridge site. Workers are building casting beds that will be used to construct the pre-cast concrete segments for the bridge spans. Crews may begin pouring those segments in the last half of January.
• Ongoing deliveries of the steel shaft casings continues to both the north and south side. Other materials and equipment are arriving at the site as crews begin to ramp up for work in the coming months.

Second shift work, some Sunday work

Lights may be noticeable from 6 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. when second shifts drill at Pier 2 (on the south bank) and Pier 3 (on the north bank) this week. Drilling work may occur on Sundays. This will be done to take advantage of good weather and make best use of equipment.

Getting a closer look

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) and the Flatiron-Manson construction team intend to build a high quality and safe bridge while minimizing disruptions to the surrounding neighborhoods.

We will continue to distribute updates weekly and welcome your comments on how to improve the communication process between the project team and the community.