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Jan. 15 marks the 100th day since work began on the St. Anthony Falls (I-35W) Bridge Project on Oct. 8. Work is taking place on almost all areas of the site as crews begin to build the foundations for the bridge and prepare to cast the first of the pre-cast segments in the I-35W casting yard.
As part of the pre-cast work, crews have erected large heating sheds that will provide a heated environment for the segments as the concrete cures. The sheds will be moved along the casting beds as new segments are poured. The concrete for the first pre-cast segment should be poured before the end of January and that work will continue into spring.
Project work taking place next week includes:
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The concrete for the footing at Pier 3 will be poured Saturday, Jan. 12. The footing will contain 1,329 cubic yards of concrete. Once the footing has cured, work will begin on building forms for the concrete piers.
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Crews are continuing excavation for footings for Pier 2 on the south side and Pier 4 on the north side. Concrete for those piers should be poured sometime in the next two weeks.
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Drilling began on the 69 smaller shafts on the bluff on the north side of the project. This work will take place over the next four weeks. The shafts will be about four feet in diameter and about 30 feet deep. This work will create some noticeable noise caused by large air compressors that power the drills.
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People in the area may also notice some odors similar to hot asphalt and/or mothballs. This is due to low-level tar contamination in the soil, because there was once a coal gasification plant in that area. Mn/DOT does not anticipate any significant air quality issues. However, they are monitoring the situation closely.
Crews will work day and night on both sides of the river, seven days a week, until the piers are complete sometime in March. Night work will include chipping and prepping piles, forming footings, and placing rebar. The noise impacts of this work will be minimal, but lights will be noticeable.
In an effort to better inform the communities surrounding the bridge, Mn/DOT will conduct three open houses the week of Jan. 21. Project staff will be on hand with photographs and other information and will be available to answer any questions.
Those events will take place on:
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Jan. 22 @ 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., University Lutheran Church of Hope, 601 - 13th Ave. S.E., Minneapolis
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Jan. 29 and Jan. 30 @ 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Crystal Court, IDS Center, 80 S.. Eighth St., Minneapolis
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