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rails to trails u winter.12 21
trails around the region and providing a
non-motorized travel corridor for resi-
dents and tourists alike.
Dawn Sommers, communications
manager for the Minneapolis Park &
Recreation Board, says the bridge itself
often serves as a park. It ofers remark-
able views of Saint Anthony Falls and
the river’s elaborate lock and dam sys-
tem. Additionally, the district around
Stone Arch Bridge is a lively one—with
plenty of greenspace, old cobblestone
streets, new restaurants and historical
buildings.
As a project that successfully melded
funding and eforts from multiple sourc-
es, Stone Arch Bridge has inspired other
cities and states to undertake similar
bridge restoration work.
New York
In Rochester, the Erie-Lackawanna
Railroad Bridge will soon provide
residents a pedestrian crossing over the
Genesee River on the city’s south end.
Originally built in 1890 by the
Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad,
the bridge is owned by the city and, once
reftted and reopened for foot and cycle
trafc, will serve as a key linkage between
the University of Rochester and several
residential and business districts. Te
bridge will also connect pedestrian trails
on the east and west banks of the river
while promoting economic revitalization
and waterfront access in the city and state
as a whole.
Funded by the city of Rochester
and the state of New York, the project
will cost approximately $2 million and
Minnesota
Constructed by James J. Hill’s St. Paul,
Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway
(later the Great Northern Railroad
Company), the Minneapolis Stone Arch
Bridge was originally completed in 1883
and recognized as a National Historic
Civil Engineering Landmark. It remained
a working railroad bridge until 1978 and
was completely transformed into a pedes-
trian bridge by 1994.
Te bridge spans the Mississippi River
and has been a model for newer projects,
including the Walkway Over the Hudson
State Historic Park in New York (featured
as the “Destination” in the Fall 2011
magazine). Te Stone Arch Bridge plays
an important role in Minneapolis, help-
ing connect approximately 50 miles of
Originally completed in 1893, the Minneapolis Stone Arch Bridge spans the Mississippi River and
today helps connect more than 50 miles of trails around the city and region; below, the working
railroad bridge in 1935.
Courtesy of Meet Minneapolis
Minnesota Historical Society
The Erie-Lackawanna
Railroad Bridge will link
the University of Rochester
with several residential and
business neighborhoods.
City of Rochester