Post by the Hawthorne Hawkman. Photo sources included in hyperlinks in photo captions.
Not too long ago, the
Irving Inquisition blog and I had ourselves a
disagreement over whether it would be best to build the Lowry Avenue Bridge quickly, or if we should wait until enough funding was allocated so that a NoMi bike/walk path underneath could be built in accordance with the
Above the Falls master plan. We'd heard rumblings that our side of the bridge would not extend far enough for that path to be put in place. The Irving Inquisition position was to build it sooner, regardless of whether it met any comprehensive plans. My stance was to wait however long it took so that we get it done right. If the plan is a 50-year plan, and the bridge will last for 100 years or more, then there's only one shot at getting this amenity or NoMi.
Well, it turns out we were both right. (but I was more right) According to Tom Leighton at the most recent Hawthorne board meeting, Hennepin County and Mark Stenglein were diligent in pursuing enough funding so that the bridge can be built with the space for a bike/walk path underneath, and this won't cause any significant delays in construction. Connecting the North Mississippi Regional Park and the rest of the Grand Rounds (admittedly, the full connection will take many, many years to complete due to property acquisition) will do wonders for biking in and through NoMi.
On a somewhat random note, as I was searching for images to use for this post, I came across another Lowry Bridge, this one in Manchester, England. Notice any similarities?
