Council Looking at Highway 7 Bridge Over Louisiana

The St. Louis Park City Council is exploring a plan that would take Highway 7 over Louisiana Avenue via a to-be-constructed bridge.

The council has had several work session meetings on the topic, and members have generally been supportive.

However, project funding has not been fully resolved. The work will cost an estimated $25 million, and roughly $19 million has been committed by various entities, including the city, MnDOT and the federal government.

The city is seeking a $3 million state grant to help close the gap. The remaining funding will then likely come from the city. With the grant, St. Louis Park is looking at footing the bill for about $11 million of the $25 million project, or about 44 percent.

In 2010, the council completed a similar project at Highway 7 and Wooddale Avenue, although in this case, the street was raised above the highway. The work cost about $18 million, and the city contributed roughly 44 percent.

The city is hoping to complete final plans at Highway 7 and Louisiana this summer, then accept bids early next year. The bridge could be open by summer 2014.

We'd like to hear what you think about the Highway 7/Louisiana Avenue proposal. Answer our poll question, and feel free to leave a comment below.