Skillful Helicopter Maneuvers Demonstrated While Replacing HVAC Unit Atop The Carlyle

Submitted by Doug Verdier, Photos by Nancy and Doug Verdier

Downtown residents near The Carlyle at the intersection of First Street S and Third Avenue S on Sunday morning, May 22, had an opportunity to observe a very well-planned, coordinated and executed construction operation. Between 8 a.m. and 12 noon, the intersection was blocked off, as was West River Parkway below the West end of the Third Avenue Bridge. The operation consisted of removing an HVAC unit from the rooftop of The Carlyle and bringing it down to a truck on the Third Avenue Bridge, then lifting a replacement HVAC unit from the same truck and delivering it to the top of The Carlyle for installation.

At 9 a.m. a helicopter arrived on-site and landed on the Third Avenue Bridge near the intersection. After some preparation for what followed, the helicopter took off and went to the top of The Carlyle where it hovered while being attached to the HVAC unit that was being removed from the top of the building. That unit was then brought down and placed on a truck that had been positioned on the bridge. A replacement HVAC unit that was on the truck was then attached to the helicopter to be flown up to the top of The Carlyle and delivered there for installation. The helicopter then returned to the truck location and was again attached to the old HVAC and lifted it again to reposition it on the truck bed for transportation off-site.

The whole operation appeared to go very smoothly and was completed on schedule. Kudos to Horwitz, the organization that coordinated the helicopter, the Minneapolis Police Department and Park Police personnel who closed streets and provided traffic control throughout the operation, and Minnesota Department of Transportation. A special shout-out to the pilot who very skillfully managed the lifts and to all the support personnel who helped make this operation safe and successful.

The photos that follow show the sequence of the operation.

After some initial preparation on the ground, the helicopter prepares to take off.

Approaching the rooftop of The Carlyle.

With the old HVAC securely attached beneath the helicopter, the pilot maneuvers away from the building to begin bringing it down.

This image clearly shows the cable and other rigging used to safely transport the HVAC to the ground.

Once the old HVAC (the box-like object on the left in this image) is placed on the awaiting truck, the cables were attached to the new HVAC which was then lifted to the roof of The Carlyle.

Another lift underway.

The new HVAC on its way to the top of The Carlyle.

Central City Tunnel Construction Project Partially Visible From the Stone Arch Bridge

By Doug Verdier

People walking across the Stone Arch Bridge likely have wondered about all the construction going on in the bluff beneath West River Parkway near the Guthrie Theater. Well, wonder no more! What they are seeing is a part of the Central City Tunnel Construction project that has been ongoing since 2021 and is scheduled for completion in 2023. 

A new tunnel is being constructed under Washington Avenue S between Nicollet Mall and Chicago Avenue. It will run parallel to the existing tunnel. The existing tunnel will also be enlarged under Chicago Avenue between Washington Avenue and the river. The City of Minneapolis Public Works Department is in charge of the project.

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The goals of this project are to increase the amount of stormwater the Central City tunnels can handle and to reduce the possibility of the existing tunnel failing. Additionally, the new tunnel will reduce pressure in the existing tunnel, provide more room for future growth, and reduce the need for future repairs.

The Central City Tunnel System is a system of stormwater tunnels that are built deep into the sandstone ground in Minneapolis. The tunnels are approximately 70 feet below the street surface and collect stormwater runoff for nearly all of Downtown. 

The new tunnel outlet excavation area as seen from the Stone Arch Bridge.

A closer view of the tunnel outlet excavation area gives a sense of the scale of the project at the access location near the Mississippi River.

Father Hennepin Bluff Park Renovation is Underway

By Doug Verdier

Construction got underway April 18 on a major renovation project to improve Father Hennepin Bluff Park. Visitors to the park will notice orange plastic tree protection fencing and erosion control throughout the park, creating somewhat of a maze of pathways between the cordoned-off areas and accessible areas of the park. Some selected trees that have deteriorated pathways will be removed as well. Underground utility installation is scheduled for late April. Currently there are no plans to fully close the entire park during construction, although some detour signs will be placed to direct people (and their pets) around closed areas.

When completed, the renovations will include a new performance stage and attached restroom facility; new park entry plaza spaces; upgraded lights, path connections, way finding signage and trail markings, and landscape and stormwater management improvements.

Signage at various locations provide details about the project and a scannable code where more information can be accessed.

Orange protective fencing surrounds trees while providing access to grassy areas for play and exercise.

Still plenty of green space open to visitors.

Third Avenue Bridge Renovation Pictures from Week Ending November 12

Submitted by Mill District resident Doug Verdier

The Third Avenue Bridge project continues with interesting activity everywhere. A major event was the erection of a fourth tower crane above one of the piers near the mid point of the bridge span. Other sections saw continuation of concrete replacement on both piers and bridge deck. Work continues into evening hours most nights under the lights. Some highlights of the past week are shown.

Forms are in place awaiting pouring of new concrete on the side of the pier near West River Parkway. Above the forms you can see where the old roadbed of the bridge has been removed from atop the steel girders.

Removal of bridge deck sections exposes the spandrels that provide support for the deck. Spandrels are also being replaced as part of the reconstruction.

The base section of the fourth tower crane that was put in place on the bridge this week can be seen in the center of the photo above. Sections of the new tower were hoisted into place by the yellow crane to the left of the red tower base section.

With all sections of the new tower in place, workers on top of the tower await the yellow crane to lift the control section into place. Sections of the crane’s horizontal components can be seen to the left of the crane as they are being unloaded from a truck.

The control module of the crane is being lifted to workers atop the tower where it will be installed. The horizontal arm of the crane will then be lifted into place. That portion of the assembly operation took place the following morning.

Ta-da! The fourth crane assembled and being checked out before going into full service.

And then there were four. The newest addition is third from left (West side of the river). It was in full service by mid-week.

Third Avenue Bridge Pier Demolition

Submitted by Mill District Resident, Doug Verdier 

Significant demolition has been underway on the Third Avenue Bridge pier nearest to West River Parkway. The exterior walls of the upstream side of the pier are being removed and will be replaced. The base of the pier beneath the demo area is protected from the falling concrete by heavy timbers. The below photos show part of the interior of the pier as well as the steel girders that will support the bridge deck when it is replaced.

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Owámni Falling Water Festival / 3rd Avenue Bridge Events Along the Riverfront

Submitted by Mill District resident Doug Verdier, photos by Nancy Verdier

On October 9th we visted both the 3rd Avenue Bridge project display on Main Street near the East side of the bridge, and the Owamni Falling Waters Festival at Father Hennepin Bluff Park and Water Works Park. There was a lot going on all afternoon at all three locations!

On the Father Hennepin side, the Owamni Falling Waters Festival featured Native American music performed in the band shell, dance exhibitions, a large variety of craft booths and food as well as games. We stayed for a drum circle performance by Native drummers in the band shell and watched a really active game that looked like lacrosse next to that area. We missed the dance performance, I’m sorry to report. There were lots of visitors to both parts of the Festival, so I’d consider it a success. 

Just a side note, as the Festival was ending around 5pm and people were starting to depart, I noticed an American Eagle soaring high above the Father Hennepin Bluff Park location where much of the activity had been going on all afternoon. The eagle was just gliding along and made two complete circles above the park area while many of the participants were still there. The eagle actually made audible sounds while circling. I thought this was a fitting salute to the Native American people who organized and participated in the events to celebrate Owamni Falling Waters and Indigenous Peoples Day tomorrow, October 11. After circling, the eagle just glided off to the South following the river. It kind of gave me a chill seeing that.

Water Works Park featured lots of food, crafts and entertainment outdoors as well as inside the Owamni by the Sioux Chef restaurant located in the park pavilion building.

Crowds were steady throughout the day and everyone seemed to enjoy the mild weather despite the clouds.

The red trailer featuring bison burgers was especially popular with hungry festival goers.

Below, a display and information about the 3rd Avenue Bridge project was set up across from Wilde Cafe on Main Street. An engineer (yellow vest) was on hand to explain aspects of the project and answer questions. Scale models of parts of the structure were displayed. I actually learned a lot talking with the engineer who staffed the Bridge display. He had some great photos and models of various aspects of the project.

Water Works Lighting Installation

Editors Note: Thank you to Mill District resident Doug Verdier for capturing the installation of the long awaited lighting in Water Works park.

Twenty overhead electric lights are being installed along the walking path throughout Water Works Park from the woonerf and kids play area to the end of the park near the Pavilion building. About half of the lights have been installed so far, and the cone-shaped covers will direct the light downward onto the walkway.

Third Avenue Bridge Renovation - Rebuilding the Spandrels

Editors Note: We are immensely thankful to Mill District resident Doug Verdier, who did an excellent job documenting the Water Works project through to fruition, and continues to document the Third Avenue Bridge refurbishment project.

Lots of structural work involving concrete has been going on at the Third Avenue Bridge project these past few weeks. In this image, one of the tall tower cranes prepares to lift a form into position atop one of the arches where it will be filled with concrete to form part of a spandrel that will support the bridge deck. The spandrels are the vertical concrete supports seen in the photo between the arch and the deck framework above.

Third Avenue Bridge Adorned With American Flags for the Independence Day Holiday Weekend

Editors Note: We are immensely thankful to Mill District resident Doug Verdier, who did an excellent job documenting the Water Works project through to fruition, and continues to document the Third Avenue Bridge refurbishment project.

On July 2nd, workers at the Third Avenue Bridge project provided the City with a patriotic display for Independence Day weekend. The three tower cranes on the span across the Mississippi River were decked out in large American flags for the weekend. Smaller flags are also mounted on the rear section of each crane and at other locations on the bridge deck. When the flags on the cranes were first raised, the crane operators rotated the crane arms several times in a full circle to wave the flags. Gentle breezes make the flags flutter at other times. Great job everyone, and what a fantastic idea to celebrate the holiday!

June 14 Third Avenue Bridge Project Photos by Doug Verdier

Editors Note: We are immensely thankful to Mill District resident Doug Verdier, who did an excellent job documenting the Water Works project through to fruition, and continues to document the Third Avenue Bridge refurbishment project.

Lots of activity on the pier and beneath the supporting components of the 3rd Avenue Bridge next to the West River Parkway bike and pedestrian path:

May 18 Third Avenue Bridge Renovation Photos

Editors Note: Mill District resident Doug Verdier continues to document the progress of the Water Works project. He has also been documenting the Third Avenue Bridge rehab project.

Work continues on the Third Avenue Bridge. Removal of sections of the deck from the span over West River Parkway expose the steel girders. 

Work platforms are being built beneath the span. Work also continues on the pier shown behind the platforms in this image.

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Below, two views from beneath the span showing daylight between the steel girders:

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May 4 Third Avenue Bridge and Water Works Photos from Doug Verdier

Editors Note: Mill District resident Doug Verdier continues to document the progress of the Water Works project. He has also been documenting the Third Avenue Bridge rehab project.

Lots of activity on the Third Avenue Bridge this week. 

Above, a section of West River Parkway is closed while demolition of the bridge deck is underway. Concrete is being broken up and removed from the bridge above the parkway. Some of the broken concrete can be seen below the bridge.

The big yellow Cat is seen here with the concrete-busting chisel attached and breaking up the thick bridge deck. The building in the background is part of the main post office. This section of the bridge is the entry from Third Avenue at 1st Street S.

Not far from the bridge, workers continue to put finishing touches on the children’s play area section of Water Works Park. Many of the new trees that were planted last Fall are starting to bloom.

Local Heroes Exhibit Tells Compelling Stories

Article by Doug Verdier

A current exhibit at the Hennepin History Museum is not only informative and interesting, but timely as well. Titled Local Heroes, the exhibit focuses on many of the unsung healthcare professionals and caregivers who were trailblazers in Hennepin County between the 1870s and 1970s.

Hennepin History Museum, 2303 3rd Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN 55404Visitors to the museum will recognize numerous parallels between the challenges faced by the individuals featured in the exhibit, such as today’s battle with the COVID-19 pandemic, and other issues familiar today. A combination of historic photographs, artifacts and detailed descriptions tells a rich and compelling story as visitors progress through the main floor gallery.

Adding to the atmosphere of the chronologically arranged exhibit are a number of portable hospital room dividers that help separate the various displays and help guide visitors through the exhibit.

As noted above, many of the individuals featured in the exhibit are not well known outside of the local healthcare community. This exhibit, which is scheduled to run through September 11, 2021, will help remedy that situation and recognize people today whose contributions to their profession provided the groundwork and direction for those who would follow.

Two "Local Heroes” whose achievements are highlighted in the exhibit are:

Dr. Harry M. Guilford (1872 – 1963)

When the influenza pandemic arrived in Minnesota in October 1918, doctors and health administrators disagreed about the best way to contain the virus. Most supported such countermeasures as encouraging the public to wear masks crafted from layered cheese cloths. However, other topics caused division. Dr. Harry M. Guilford, the health commissioner for Minneapolis, encouraged a more aggressive approach. On October 12, Guilford closed most public spaces, including schools, churches, clubs, and movie theaters. Some doctors considered the decision too drastic. However, as the infection rate continued to climb (by December, there were 15,703 reported infections and 887 deaths in Minneapolis alone), more doctors began to recognize the wisdom of the decision.

Members of the public also disagreed with Guilford’s decision. After a meeting with Minneapolis ministers, Guilford amended closing churches entirely to permitting them to open at 25 percent capacity. His most dramatic clash was with the Minneapolis Board of Education. Led by Henry Deutsch, the board voted to defy the school closure and open on Monday, October 21. Deutsch insisted that the safest place for children to be during an outbreak was in school. Guilford argued that schools remaining open would lead to greater transmission. The disagreement was resolved when Lewis Harthill, Minneapolis police superintendent, arranged a meeting with the school board. The board rescinded their decision and the schools closed again after being open for half a day.

Minneapolis schools and other public places reopened on November 15 but were quickly closed again when a second outbreak surged through the community. On December 30, schools were reopened a third time with precautions implemented by Dr. Guilford, such as setting a quarantine period of ten days after a child was sick with the flu. The goal was to prevent a third outbreak.  

By spring of 1919, influenza cases and deaths in Minneapolis started to drop back to average numbers. However, the flu never disappeared, and different strains of influenza still continue to infect people around the world today. Despite medical advances, medical professionals still don’t completely understand what made the 1918 influenza so deadly. Research on the 1918 virus continues as medical professionals seek to understand the epidemics and pandemics of the past to better protect the world in the future.  

Frances McHie Rains is pictured here in uniform while she was a student at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. Photo courtesy of Benjamin McHie.Frances McHie Rains (1911 – 2006)

After graduating in 1929 from South High School in Minneapolis, Frances McHie applied for admission to the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, but her application was denied because she was Black. With the help of local African-American activist W. Gertrude Brown, and Democratic legislator Sylvanus A. Stockwell, McHie brought this injustice before the Minnesota State Legislature. When McHie read her rejection letter from the University, the assembly was outraged, and the lawmakers voted that she be admitted to the School of Nursing immediately. Thereupon, McHie became the first Black woman admitted to the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. However, she still faced a deeply rooted culture of racism and systemic discrimination at the University. Nonetheless, McHie graduated from the School of Nursing in 1932 at the top of her class with a double major in education.

McHie continued to trailblaze throughout her long and successful career as a pioneering nurse, educator, and activist. After graduation she became the first Black nursing supervisor at Minneapolis General Hospital (now HCMC). Later, she was the first African-American to work with the Visiting Nurses Association in New Orleans, and she also helped to break the color barrier at Herman Kiefer Hospital in Detroit. McHie went on to became Associate Professor and assistant to the Director of the School of Nursing at Tuskegee Institute and Meharry Medical College in Nashville.

McHie married Dr. Horace Rains in 1951 and settled in Long Beach, California, eventually starting a family. She continued to work in healthcare. In 1953 she became one of the first African-Americans to teach at the University of Southern California General Hospital in Los Angeles. She also devoted a great deal of time to community service. She served as an officer in the Long Beach branch of the NAACP and founded the Long Beach National Council of Negro Women. She died in 2006 at the age of 95.

In 2019, the Frances McHie Nursing Scholarship was established at the University of Minnesota by her nephew, Benjamin McHie, to honor her memory, build on Black history in the medical profession, and support careers in nursing. This scholarship strives to combat racism in the field of healthcare, just as Frances McHie Rains did throughout her life and career.

Moving among the various historic images, artifacts and descriptions of the people, places and events of 100 years in Hennepin County gives one a new appreciation for the dedication and contributions to healthcare by the individuals represented. The challenges these people faced during their lives cannot be overstated. One can’t help but reflect on the parallels of the healthcare environment then and today.

Local Heroes is an important collection of a part of our past that recognizes and honors those who lead the way and inspired today’s medical and healthcare workers. Most of the people represented are not well known. Many of the buildings pictured in the exhibit have been replaced. And medical devices and instruments in use today are quite different from those of yesteryear.

But challenges remain and are being met every day by a new generation dedicated to the health and well-being of everyone. These current “Local Heroes” will continue the work and legacy of those honored in today’s exhibit. And years from now our descendants will honor them.

Thanks to Alyssa Thiede, Hennepin History Museum Curator, and Hannah Dyson, Hennepin History Museum Research Assistant for their contributions to this article.

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While the Hennepin History Museum is once again welcoming visitors, masks are required by persons age 6 and older. Also, visiting this museum requires the use of stairs. In addition to the physical exhibit, Local Heroes also is available online at www.hennepinhistory.org.

Pandemic Both Challenges and Inspires Hennepin History Museum Staff

Article by Doug Verdier

When COVID-19 closed the Hennepin History Museum to the public on March 14, 2020, Museum Curator Alyssa Thiede was deeply disappointed. But the pandemic also inspired the current Local Heroes exhibit itself and motivated her to create an exhibit that paid tribute to healthcare workers.

“The situation also presented a creative opportunity to reimagine how to organize and offer exhibits to the public in a safe and accessible way,” Thiede said. “The pandemic created a number of new and different challenges to developing an exhibit as well, because access to many resources suddenly was cut off.”

With libraries and archives closed, Thiede reached out to people in the healthcare community as primary sources for ideas on what to include. “Marie Manthey, a nurse who sits on the Heritage Committee of the University of Minnesota School of Nursing was a valuable resource,” said Thiede. “She helped me connect with experts in the healthcare field, as well as several retired nurses who volunteer at the Hennepin Medical History Center Museum at HCMC.”

The evolution of the exhibit was truly collaborative. “So many people contributed, since access to libraries and other sources were not available,” said Thiede. “The stories they shared helped make the exhibit more experiential and personal.”

The interviews and research helped identify and narrow down the individuals, organizations, places and timeframe that the exhibit would emphasize.

“From the beginning, I knew that I didn’t want to focus too much on the big names that people already know,” said Thiede. “I wanted to celebrate the more unsung healthcare heroes. That’s why you’ll see a lot of women, people of color and other less known individuals featured throughout the exhibit.”

Above, Dr. Charles E. Dutton’s Medical Bag, circa 1900. Dr. Charles E. Dutton was the last surviving member of the first class to graduate from the University of Minnesota’s Medical School in 1889. He practiced medicine in downtown Minneapolis until 1935, but continued to treat patients out of his home almost until the time of his death in 1955 at the age of 94. He was also well known as the first doctor in Minneapolis to make house calls out of an automobile. His medical bag, pictured, includes a stethoscope, speculum, forceps, steel calipers, anesthesia mask, trephine, bone saw, scalpel, syringe and needle, and many other tools. After use, instruments that required sterilization would have been boiled in the copper chamber in the lower compartment of the medical bag. Hennepin History Museum Collections. Gift of Mrs. Charles E. Dutton.

When it came to selecting the artifacts to be part of the exhibit, Hennepin History Museum’s own in-house collection was invaluable. Other items are on loan from the Hennepin Medical History Center at HCMC, which is not currently open to the public.

At the same time, the physical layout of the Local Heroes exhibit had to be designed in a way that would allow visitors to feel comfortable and safe going through the museum when it was open again. Consideration of how many people could go through at the same time, what direction they would go and how to arrange exhibits for the best visibility all were reviewed. One element in the layout of the exhibit was the use of  portable hospital dividers to separate portions of the displays. These not only served a social-distancing function, but also added to the healthcare atmosphere of the gallery.

A bonus in all this, Thiede explained, was a renewed emphasis on providing exhibit content online for visitors who were not yet comfortable going to a museum during the pandemic. “I had been thinking for a couple of years about how to create online content in addition to a physical exhibit,” she said. “The pandemic pushed that idea higher on the priority list. It actually was something of a silver lining to everything else.”

Thiede explained that the museum had not previously explored in detail what resources would be needed to give it the necessary level of online capability. This required some experimentation to see how virtual content could look and be engaging to viewers.

“With Local Heroes we are offering for the first time both a physical exhibit as well as an online version of the entire exhibit, including full text, photos of each artifact, and images of the people and places featured,” Thiede said. “We are learning from this first online offering and look forward to viewer and visitor feedback so we can improve the online experience going forward. Having the exhibits available online will make them available to a wider audience. Our plan is to provide an online version of all future exhibits. We want to share the historic stories with as many people as possible!”

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The Local Heroes exhibit is scheduled to run through September 11, 2021.

While the Hennepin History Museum is once again welcoming visitors, masks are required by persons age 6 and older. Also, visiting this museum requires the use of stairs. In addition to the physical exhibit, Local Heroes is also available online at www.hennepinhistory.org.

Hennepin History Museum is located at 2303 Third Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN 55404.

Current hours are: Thursdays, 10a–3p; Fridays, 10a–3p; Saturdays 10a–5p.

Limited free parking is available in the rear of the building.

Admission: Adults $8, Seniors/Students $5, Free for Members an Children age 6 and under

Doug Verdier's April 22 Third Avenue Bridge Project Photos

Editors Note: Mill District resident Doug Verdier continues to document the progress of the Water Works project. He has also been documenting the Third Avenue Bridge refurbishment project.

Work on the base of the Third Avenue Bridge pier near West River Parkway has been clearly evident to pedestrians and cyclists in recent weeks. One lane of the parkway is now reserved for non-vehicular traffic, and area residents and visitors can get a close-up look at progress on the lower section of the pier base.

Metal-reinforced wooden forms are pictured here awaiting installation around the base prior to pouring concrete into the forms. Each form has been constructed specifically for the location it will be placed around the base.

A view beneath the bridge shows the extent of preparation for pouring concrete.

A closer view of the reinforcing elements attached to the existing base before the concrete is poured to form the new exterior surface.

Work on the bridge deck and vertical elements of the structure is ongoing, as is work beneath the arch. This particular section is within the Horseshoe Falls area.

More March Third Avenue Bridge Project Pics from Doug Verdier

Editors Note: Mill District resident Doug Verdier continues to document the progress of the Water Works project. He has also been documenting the Third Avenue Bridge rehab project.

Progress continues on the Third Avenue Bridge. Earlier this month, a deteriorated footbridge that once stretched from near the West River Parkway to the bridge pier was pulled from the river and removed. This was necessary to make room for placement of equipment around the pier to continue the repairs.

Sections of the old footbridge await removal.

Looking like a medieval mace, this piece of equipment is used to grind away old concrete from the bridge pier.

A closeup look at the grinding apparatus.

Wooden forms are being placed to guide workers in mounting new rebar into the base of the pier in preparation for applying new concrete around the entire base.

March 11 Third Avenue Bridge Photos from Doug Verdier

Editors Note: Mill District resident Doug Verdier continues to document the progress of the Water Works project. He has also been documenting the Third Avenue Bridge rehab project.

The construction scene on and under the Third Avenue Bridge is constantly changing. Work is currently underway on the base of the bridge pier nearest West River Parkway. Work is quite visible from the pedestrian and bike path where these photos were taken.

Two workers with pneumatic tools are removing deteriorated concrete from the pier base. They are standing on a section of the base that was repaired a few years ago. The gravel area was put in place where water used to flow to allow heavy equipment to access the area more easily.

This machine is grinding off deteriorated concrete from the base of the pier.

A worker chisels off pieces of concrete with a pneumatic tool.

A large section of the upstream end of the base has already been removed in preparation for repairs.

The timbers that were stacked next to the canal were used to form a ramp to allow large machines to enter and exit the area next to the base of the pier.

A lift was employed to enable this worker to power wash the exterior of the new brick on the Water Works pavilion building. 

March 3 Third Avenue Bridge Renovation Photos from Doug Verdier

Editors Note: Mill District resident Doug Verdier continues to document the progress of the Water Works project. He has also been documenting the Third Avenue Bridge refurbishment project.

Progress continues on the Third Avenue Bridge project. With the removal of equipment and the sandbag barrier surrounding the pier near the middle of the bridge, the remaining Caterpillar excavator rests on a small gravel island awaiting lift by crane to the bridge above. Three workers joined the Cat on the island to attach lifting equipment to the machine. The removal of the barrier surrounding the pier was well coordinated to remove the barrier materials up to the bridge by crane, while gradually reducing the size of the area beneath the tracks of the excavator. This allowed the water level flowing around the base of the pier to rise to normal level.

The photo above shows the lifting device attached to the excavator prior to being lifted from the small “island” in the river.

And we have liftoff! The Cat is being hoisted up by crane while two of the workers watch from the island below. Another worker can be seen on the ladder behind the lift just above the Cat.

After a brief ride, the Cat is about to be safely lowered onto the bridge.

Following the Cat’s extraction from the “island” a clamshell was used to remove the remaining gravel from the area near the base of the pier to restore the water level to normal. Restoration work on the pier surface will continue using the wooden platform attached above the base of the pier.

Meanwhile, beneath the bridge next to West River Parkway and the pedestrian and bike path, another excavator is preparing a work surface in a channel where river water formerly flowed. Some of the timbers that were delivered on site earlier in the week have been laid over the walkway to protect the surface from damage by machinery as work proceeds.

Ice had to be chopped in order to put the gravel into the channel. Some of the deterioration of the pier can be seen in this image. Visible below the deteriorated section is evidence of a previous restoration done some years ago on the base of this pier. 

The photo above shows another section of the bridge where sections of the deck have been removed.

When the Aster Cafe starts putting out its patio furniture and umbrellas, can Spring be far behind? Fingers crossed!

Third Avenue Bridge Project Photos and Other Scenes of Interest from Doug Verdier

Submitted by Mill District resident, Doug Verdier

Warmer weather this past week brought lots of snow melting, getting out to enjoy walks and lunch in neighborhood outdoor seating, and lots of increased activity and staging of materials for the Third Avenue Bridge project. Photos that follow are the result of an afternoon’s walk.

The Third Avenue Bridge project features a historical image on fence beneath the bridge along Main Street.

On the Main Street side of the project, you can see where sections of the bridge deck have been removed and work is underway on the vertical section of the bridge pier.

New concrete surface is clearly visible on the base of one of the piers inside the horseshoe falls. This week upper levels of the sandbag water barrier around the base of the pier were removed and equipment that was positioned inside the barrier was lifted up to the bridge deck. The now-smooth and restored surface of the base of the pier is clearly visible. The platform on the downstream end of the pier base shows where work is underway to resurface that portion of the pier. Colored tarps cover new concrete surfaces while it cures.

A closer view of the pier above.

Heavy timbers were delivered to a staging area along the bike and pedestrian path on the downtown side of the river. What are they for? Stay tuned!

Father Hennepin Park near the Stone Arch Bridge was a bit soggy in spots.

These benches in Father Hennepin Park will have to remain empty for a while longer.

Wilde Cafe’s outdoor seating was popular for a quick snack or drink.

January 21, 2021, Third Avenue Bridge and Water Works Park Progress Photos from Doug Verdier

Editors Note: Mill District resident Doug Verdier continues to document the progress of the Water Works project. He has also been documenting the Third Avenue Bridge rehab project.

Exterior masonry on the Water Works pavilion wrapped up this past week. The scaffolding and plastic sheeting are gone, revealing the new brickwork and windows on the building.

Workers put final touches on new windows on the First Street side of the pavilion. A new street light pole has been installed as well.

This side of the pavilion building will open out onto a grassy area where outdoor eating and activities will be available. A row of trees seen on the right of the photo shields the area from First Street traffic.

Panoramic view of the cranes now in place on the Third Avenue Bridge as construction ramps up. With the bridge now closed to all traffic, pedestrians, bikes, etc. until November 2022, construction activity has increased significantly.

View of the three large cranes as seen from the path along the river in front of Water Works Park.