La Crosse Area Bicycle Festival To Be Held Labor Day Weekend

Head down to La Crosse, Wisconsin Labor Day Weekend for some of the best road cycling in the Midwest.  This is the weekend of the La Crosse Area Bicycle Festival.  The festival is scheduled to begin Thursday, August 30th lasting through the weekend and wrapping up on Monday, September 3rd.

The festival celebrates cycling in the scenic deep river valleys and bluffs of the Driftless Region of southeastern Minnesota and west central Wisconsin.  It will be a weekend of great cycling and fun family activities. 

Some of the rides scheduled for the festival include:

Coon Valley Coulee Express-57, 48, 28 miles (August 31)
Norski Tur-100, 75, 50, 25 miles (September 1)
Apple Blossom Loop-35 miles (September 2)
Driftless Region's Most Scenic Ride-75 & 36 miles (September 2)
Skull Splitter Ride (half gravel, half pavement ride)-56 miles (September 2)
Ride the Cut-80 & 55 miles (September 3)
Spinning the Goose-35 & 24 miles (September 3)

Online Registration for this free event includes a wristband good for bicycle friendly deals from downtown area businesses.

For a complete schedule of activities, click here.

MN/DOT Requests Cyclist's Feedback for Creation of 2013 State Bicycle Map

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is requesting input from cyclists who ride in Minnesota.  This feedback will put to use in the creation of the new 2013 MN Bicycle Map.  The last version of this map was produced in 2001 and is no longer in print.

You can view or print out the draft map online.  Take a look at it, share this information with fellow cyclists and take the short survey to let MN/DOT know what you think.  More than 2000 cyclists have already told MN/DOT what is most important to display on the new map.  This feedback is needed to make sure it meets cyclists needs for accuracy and usability.

The final version will be an electronic, printable map that MN/DOT can make updates to in the future.  Feedback information is being accepted through September 10, 2012.  This new map will be a great tool for cyclists planning on riding anywhere in the state of Minnesota, especially those that will be traveling long distances.

For more information, contact:
Greta Alquist
Bicycle & Pedestrian Section
651-366-4164
greta.alquist@state.mn.us

Bike Trail Picture of the Day - 8/26/12

A little bit of country in the city

Taken 8/26/12

Location:  Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail

Near Minnetonka, MN

Bike Trail Picture of the Day - 8/25/12

Passing by two Minneapolis landmarks

Taken 8/25/12

Location:  First Bridge Park

Near the Hennepin Avenue Bridge

Downtown Riverfront Byway District

Grand Rounds Scenic Byway

Minneapolis, MN

Trail Repair, Construction and Closure Update-8/25/12

The Martin Olav Sabo bridge was closed over the last week in order to perform work to retrofit a diaphragm plate designed to withstand fatigue that caused cracking and cable failure last winter. The new plate connects the third longest set of cables on the bridge and will be monitored over the next few months to see how it performs.  It is expected that engineers will schedule the replacement of the other diaphragm plates later in the year.  The bridge is now open until the rest of the repairs are scheduled to begin.

The Sabo bridge opens just in time to be used as a detour for the Midtown Greenway Hiawatha Spur closure that starts Monday, August 27th.  The City of Minneapolis sent out the following statement to its Bicycle and Pedestrian Update subscribers yesterday:

Starting Monday, August 27, 2012, the Midtown Greenway Hiawatha Spur will be closed. The Hiawatha Spur is the short, at-grade trail segment just east of the intersection of Hiawatha Avenue and East 28^th Street. The closure is estimated to last five days and is needed to install fiber optic lines for a new Xcel Energy substation. Please follow the marked detour via the Sabo Bridge.

Keep informed of trail closures, detours and construction work by subscribing to the City of Minneapolis Bicycle and Pedestrian Update.  Visit http://www.minneapolismn.gov/bicycles/email-updates  and follow the instructions.

Image Credit: Dakota County

Work on the Pine Bend Bluffs segment of the Mississippi River Regional Trail continues into the next week. Work will include the removal of debris, stripping the topsoil within the construction limits and the shaping and grading of the trail from 111th Street to the north and from 117th Street to the south.

If you would like to get e-mail updates on this segment of the Mississippi River Regional Trail as they are posted send an e-mail to erin.borchert@co.dakota.mn.us with "Add me to the CP 97-98 (MRRT - Pine Bend) update list" in the subject line.

Repair work also continues on the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail.  The following closure information is from the MN DNR:

Image Credit:  MN DNR

Mankato section

The trail is closed from the Lime Valley Parking Lot, east past the Hwy 22 Parking Lot (also closed) to the old #12 Bridge. Lime Valley Parking Lot is open for users going South into Mankato and the city trail system. The Hwy #22 Parking Lot is closed weekdays and for westbound use of the trail on weekends. There are county and city trails that can be used to get to downtown Mankato. Users must stay out of closed areas, during repairs to culverts and the replacement of the blacktop surface. Construction is expected to be completed by Mankato section by November 2, 2012.

Image Credit:  MN DNR

Faribault to Waterville section

Crews are currently rebuilding four bridges in this area and closing off sections around the bridge work. No trail users are allowed in any work area.

On August 6, 2012 old blacktop will be removed, re-grading and replacing the blacktop surface begins. Construction is expected to be completed by October 31, 2012. Remember, for safety concerns, stay out of closed areas.

To read more about this project from one of my earlier posts, click here.  For more information and updates on the construction improvements, visit the DNR's Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail page or call the DNR Information Center Monday through Friday between 8:00 am & 4:30 pm at 651-296-6157 or toll free 888-646-6367. 

Bike Trail Picture of the Day - 8/20/12

Passing by the South Battery

Taken 8/20/12

Location:  Fort Snelling

Near the Fort Snelling State Trail

Fort Snelling State Park

St. Paul, MN

Bike Trail Picture of the Day - 8/19/12

Sunday morning country gravel road ride

Taken 8/19/12

Location:  Akron Avenue

Near Randolph, MN

Sabo Bridge on the Midtown Greenway to Close for About a Week

The Martin Olav Sabo suspension bridge on the Midtown Greenway made a lot of news back in February when a diaphragm plate fractured causing a pair of cables to break loose.  It was later determined that the wind caused vibrations of the cables resulted in fatigue cracking of the diaphragm plates and the failure of two of the cables.  A You Tube video released last year detailed the vibrations on one of the cables long before the cable failures in February.

Repair work will be done and the bridge will be closed to all bike and pedestrian traffic starting Sunday, August 19th at 7 a.m. and is expected to reopen approximately one week later.  A detour for the bridge will be in place by taking to the intersection of 28th Street and Hiawatha Avenue.

Intersection of 28th Street and Hiawatha Avenue

The City of Minneapolis released this statement on its website regarding the repair work to be done on the bridge:

Work begins to repair Sabo Bridge
Repair work will begin next week on the Sabo bike and pedestrian bridge, where support cables broke loose last winter. In this phase, engineers will install one retrofitted diaphragm plate on the bridge, which crosses over Hiawatha Avenue in south Minneapolis. The repair to the plate will then be monitored over the next month to see how it performs. Engineers will then plan and schedule repairs to the rest of the bridge’s diaphragm plates later this year.
One of the bridge’s diaphragm plates fractured in February, causing a pair of suspension cables to break loose.Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc., an engineering firm hired to find the cause of the fracture, concluded in June that wind-induced cable vibrations caused fatigue cracking in the diaphragm plates resulting in two cable connections fracturing. The retrofitted plate being installed this weekend is designed to withstand the fatigue that caused the cracking. 
The retrofitted diaphragm plate will connect to one pair of cables on the Sabo Bridge. This particular pair is the third longest set of cables in the bridge design, and they are the longest cables currently attached to the bridge pylon. Crews will need to de-tension that cable group before the retrofitted plate can be installed. 
In order to conduct this repair work, the bridge will close to bike and pedestrian traffic beginning at 7 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 19. During the closure, which will last approximately one week, bike and pedestrian traffic will be detoured to the intersection of 28th Street and Hiawatha Avenue.
Also as part of this work, both directions of Hiawatha Avenue between East 26th Street and East 28th Street will close to traffic starting at 7 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 19. The highway is scheduled to reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, however it is likely that it will open earlier, once work is complete. Drivers will need to follow the posted detour routes.
This phase of the repair is expected to be completed later in the week, and at that point, Hiawatha Avenue will need to close again for a short time. More details on a possible second closure will be available as the work progresses.
The Sabo Bridge is a 215 foot-long cable-stayed suspension bridge that opened in November of 2007 to carry Midtown Greenway bicycles and pedestrians over Hiawatha Avenue. The bridge was built by Hennepin County and turned over to the City of Minneapolis when construction was completed.

Keep informed of trail closures, detours and construction work by subscribing to the City of Minneapolis Bicycle and Pedestrian Update.  Visit http://www.minneapolismn.gov/bicycles/email-updates  and follow the instructions.

DNR Set to Start Construction of Brown's Creek State Trail Near Stillwater

Image Credit: MN Department of Natural Resources

After several years of planning, negotiating for the purchase of the 5.9 mile rail corridor and the removal of the Minnesota Zephyr dinner train, it appears that beginning stages of construction of the Brown's Creek State Trail can be started.

Image Credit: MN Department of Natural Resources

I wanted to know more about this project other than what was stated on the DNR's Brown's Creek State Trail Planning page so I sent an e-mail to Colin Kelly who is a DNR Parks and Trails Planner.  He promptly responded with an update provided by Kent Skaar, MN DNR Acquisition and Development Section Lead for this project.

Image Credit:  Gateway-Brown's Creek Trail Association

The e-mail update contained the following: 

Unfortunately the conversion of the Zephyr Railroad to a recreational trail has not adhered to the schedule that we had projected earlier this year. However, as you note the Zephyr Train was moved from the tracks during July and the removal of the tracks and ties will begin in the next 2-3 weeks. The completion of the tracks/ties is scheduled for no later than the end of November 2012. The corridor will be in a walkable condition following track removal which should facilitate skiing for the 2012/2013 winter.

Construction is currently scheduled to begin in the Spring of 2013, with the initial phase of development remaining focused on the Stillwater to the Browns Creek Park. Engineering and design for the entire trail is currently projected to be completed later this year and development of the trail from Browns Creek Park to the intersection with the Gateway State Trail (including a bridge over Manning Ave) will be dependent upon available funding.

Image Credit:  Gateway-Brown's Creek Trail Association

At this time we have decided to have much of the redevelopment of the TH95 Bridge completed during the course of trail construction rather than this fall.  However, the masonry work on the limestone abutments will be completed under a separate contract which is hoped to be inplace yet this Fall.

The DNR expects 75,000 people a year to use this unique trail that passes through scenic sections of woods and meadows, along a designated trout stream and past historic sites.  Future development plans would connect the Brown's Creek State Trail with a Stillwater city trail along the waterfront that would loop across the Stillwater Lift Bridge and the the new St. Croix River Bridge that is expected to be completed in late 2016 or early 2017.  Click here for more information on the St. Croix River Crossing Project proposed loop trail.

The final version of the Master Plan for the project approved by the DNR Commissioner can be reviewed by clicking here.  If you have further questions regarding the project you can e-mail Parks & Trails Planner Colin Kelly at colin.kelly@state.mn.us or Acquisition & Development Section Leader  Kent Skaar at kent.skaar@state.mn.us.

Bike Trail Picture of the Day - 8/11/12

An afternoon ride along the St. Paul Riverfront

Taken 8/11/12

Location:  Sam Morgan Regional Trail

Near the Wabasha Bridge

St. Paul, MN

Work Continues on the Mississippi River Regional Trail in Dakota County

The Mississippi River Regional Trail (MRRT) in Dakota County will be a 27 mile paved trail that will eventually connect South Saint Paul with Hastings and is scheduled for completion in 2014. Construction is now underway on two more sections of the trail.  Work on the 1.5 mile Central Segment has already begun and is expected to be completed late this summer.  Construction on the Pine Bend Bluffs Segment was scheduled to begin on August 6th.

Image Credit:  Dakota County

The work on the Pine Bend Bluffs Segment will be a 1.7 mile stretch from the south Inver Grove Heights border to the northern boundary of the Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area.  According to Dakota County's Road Construction Updates page, the scheduled work for August 10th through the 18th on the Pine Bend Bluffs Segment is for tree removal as necessary and the installation of a silt fence.  Completion of this segment is expected sometime in late October.  Schedules are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances and weather conditions.

If you would like to get e-mail updates on this segment of the trail as they are posted send an e-mail to erin.borchert@co.dakota.mn.us with "Add me to the CP 97-98 (MRRT - Pine Bend) update list" in the subject line.

Any questions or comments concerning this project can be directed to the Dakota County Transportation Department or by calling 952-891-7100.

Bike Trail Picture of the Day - 8/10/12

Crossing an old railroad trestle

Taken 8/10/12

Location:  Root River State Trail

South Branch Root River

Near Lanesboro, MN

Periodic Closures of the Midtown Greenway Set to Begin August 13th

Starting Monday, August 13th cyclists that use the Midtown Greenway need to be aware of rolling closures that will take place in four phases running west to east.  The closure time of each phase is expected to last 2-3 days.  Detours for the closed sections will be marked and weather conditions could cause construction delays.  The work will be done on weekdays leaving the trail open on the weekends.

The City of Minneapolis sent out the following information to its Bicycle & Pedestrian Update Subscribers:

Beginning Monday, August 13, 2012, the Midtown Greenway will experience periodic closures between Abbott Avenue South and Hiawatha Avenue South. The Kenilworth Trail between the Midtown Greenway and Cedar Lake Parkway will also experience closures.

Full closures of the trails are needed to perform joint sealing and sand sealing work that will help preserve the trail surface for at least 10 years. The closures will occur in four phases - running west to east - each lasting 2-3 days. Marked detours will be provided. The work schedule is tentative and may change due to weather conditions or construction delays. The trail will remain open on weekends.

Detours and daily updates will be posted at www.minneapolismn.gov/

bicycles/detours.

Phase 1 - map

Midtown Greenway from Abbott Avenue South and East Calhoun Parkway

Kenilworth Trail from Midtown Greenway and Cedar Lake Parkway

Phase 2 - map

Midtown Greenway from East Calhoun Parkway and Colfax Avenue South

Phase 3 - map

Midtown Greenway from Colfax Avenue South and 10^th Avenue South

Phase 4 - map

Midtown Greenway from 11^th Avenue South and Hiawatha Avenue South

This work will not impact the Sabo Bridge or the Midtown Greenway east of Hiawatha.

Note: The Dean Parkway ramp at the Midtown Greenway will remained closed into September as part of the Metropolitan Council’s Sewer Improvements Project. More information about that project can be found here.

Please stay off closed trails and follow marked detours. A full closure of the trail is needed to allow crews to work safely and ensure that the new trail surface can properly dry and cure. If bicyclists and pedestrians use the trail before it is fully dry, the surface may be damaged, requiring additional, costs, maintenance and closures.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

If you would like to subscribe to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Update, visit http://www.minneapolismn.gov/bicycles/email-updates  and follow the instructions.

To see a map of the latest detours and trail closures go the City of Minneapolis Bicycle Detour page.

Bike Trail Picture of the Day - 8/8/12

Along the river and through the woods

Taken 8/8/12

Location:  Crosby Farm Regional Park

St. Paul, MN

Bike Trail Picture of the Day - 8/7/12

Morning ride around the lakes

Taken 8/7/12

Location:  Lake Calhoun

Chain of Lakes Byway District

Grand Rounds Scenic Byway

Minneapolis, MN

The Entire Midtown Greenway to be Repaved

The entire span of the Midtown Greenway will be repaved.  I received an e-mail message from Midtown Greenway Coalition Executive Director Soren Jensen that stated "All three sections of the Midtown Greenway are going to be repaved, starting with Phase I (the section by the Lakes) this week.   The entire project is expected to take about two weeks, with rolling detours moving Eastward."  However, an update on the Coalition's Facebook and Twitter pages states the project has been pushed back to start the week of August 13th.

According to the Midtown Greenway Coalition's Twitter account, "The trail will likely stay open on weekends."  Their Facebook page stated "Watch for detours. Hang in there, everyone -- it will look great when it's done!"

For more information and updates on this project, follow the Midtown Greenway Coalition on Twitter or Facebook.  If you would like to sign up to receive the Midtown Greenway Coalition's e-newsletter and e-mail updates, click here.

Bike Trail Picture of the Day - 8/5/12

Free Valet Bike Parking compliments of Nice Ride MN

Taken 8/5/12

Location:  Uptown Art Fair

Humbolt Ave. S. at the Midtown Greenway

Minneapolis, MN

MN DNR Closing Two Sections of the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail for Improvements

The Minnesota DNR will be closing two sections of the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail for construction improvements starting Monday, August 6th, weather permitting.  This is part of a three year plan to rebuild the entire 39 mile trail.  A 20 mile stretch of the trail will remain open west of Sakatah Lake State Park in Waterville

Closed will be a 14.7 mile stretch from Waterville east to Faribault.  Trail use will not be allowed and no detour will be provided.  The MN DNR expects completion of this section, which will include a re-grade and new blacktop, by October 31st.  If you plan on using the open section of the trail, it can be accessed from the east at the wayside rest area in Elysian as the Waterville parking area will be closed.  To see a temporary closure map, click here.

1.5 miles near Mankato from the Lime Valley Parking lot east to the old #12 bridge is the other section to close.  Culvert repair work and blacktop replacement are the improvements being made to this section.  Trail users can access the trail from the west by parking in the Eagle Lake lot.   

For more information and updates on the construction improvements, visit the DNR's Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail page or call the DNR Information Center Monday through Friday between 8:00 am & 4:30 pm at 651-296-6157 or toll free 888-646-6367.

Cannon Valley Trail "Connect It Benefit Party" on Saturday, August 11

Show your support for connecting the Cannon Valley Trail to the Mill Towns State Trail by attending the the Cannon Valley Trail Connect It Benefit Party.  Join others from the Parks & Trails Council, the Cannon Valley Trail and the Mill Towns State Trail in support of a critical three mile section that would link the two trails.

There will be a social, $3 meat or veggie burgers, $2.50 old fashioned root beer floats and live music from Pennyroyal.  Erik the Bike Man will be on hand with gear tips and equipment demonstrations.  It all takes place on Saturday, August 11th from 11 am to 3 pm at the Welch Station on the Cannon Valley Trail.  A Wheel Pass is required to ride the trail and can be obtained at the Red Wing Trailhead, Cannon Falls Trailhead and the Welch Station.

Let's get it connected.