Martin Olav Sabo Bridge

Martin Olav Sabo Bridge
The Martin Olav Sabo Bridge viewed from the south, from around 28th Street.
Coordinates	44°57′17″N 93°14′33″W / 44.9547°N 93.2425°W / 44.9547; -93.2425Coordinates: 44°57′17″N 93°14′33″W / 44.9547°N 93.2425°W / 44.9547; -93.2425
Carries	Pedestrian and bicycle
Crosses	Minnesota State Highway 55 (Hiawatha Avenue) and METRO Blue Line
Locale	Minneapolis
Official name	Martin Olav Sabo Bridge
Maintained by	Minneapolis Public Works
Characteristics
Design	cable-stayed suspension
Total length	2,200 feet (671 m)
Height	100 feet (30 m)
Longest span	220 feet (67 m)
History
Opened	Ribbon cutting November 8, 2007, at 4:00PM CDT

The Martin Olav Sabo Bridge is a bridge in the city of Minneapolis and the first cable-stayed suspension bridge in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Formerly the Midtown Greenway Pedestrian Bridge, it was renamed in honor of former Representative Martin Olav Sabo, a fourteen-term member of Congress from Minnesota.

Opened and dedicated in November 2007, the bridge crosses Hiawatha Avenue (Trunk Highway 55) north of 28th Street East and just south of 26th Street East, joining Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Minneapolis Midtown Greenway at Hiawatha Avenue, allowing a continuous biking connection across the city. The bridge also links Longfellow community (Longfellow and Seward neighborhoods) to Phillips community (East Phillips neighborhood).

The bridge was built by Hennepin County and transferred to the City of Minneapolis, which owns and maintains the bridge.

The bridge was closed on February 20, 2012 when two of the cables that support the bridge fell due to cracks in their attachment points; additional significant cracks were subsequently found in two other support plates. The bridge, supported with temporary bracing, was reopened June 1, 2012. A summary report of the failure analysis released June 8, 2012 determined that unaccounted for wind-induced cable vibrations led to the failures of the attachment points. The bridge was again closed for repairs on September 23, 2012. Repairs were completed, and the bridge reopened, on November 19, 2012.

The new bridge eliminates the need for bicyclists and pedestrians to cross busy Hiawatha Avenue with a stoplight at grade-level. Instead, the bridge brings them north one block, over the highway, and back south, introducing a new grade-level crossing of 28th Street East west of Hiawatha. Users are still able to use the at-grade Hiawatha crossing after completion.