Anoka County Advances Fridley Bridge Replacement Project on Central Avenue

FRIDLEY, Minn. - Anoka County's Highway Department is moving forward with plans to replace the Central Avenue NE (County Highway 35) bridge over Rice Creek, a vital infrastructure project intended to enhance safety and modernize the aging crossing in Fridley. The project is currently in the public engagement phase, with officials inviting the community to a non-traditional open house format to review the designs and provide feedback.

Project Summary and Background

The core of this initiative is the replacement of the existing Rice Creek bridge, which currently utilizes a double box culvert structure. The county plans to remove this structure and install a new reinforced concrete beam bridge, significantly boosting the longevity and capacity of this major north-south corridor.

A key component of the improvements focuses on the adjacent recreational facilities:

• The existing steel pedestrian bridge on the west side of CSAH 35 will be removed.
• This removal is necessary to facilitate a future re-alignment of the Rice Creek Regional Trail that will pass beneath the new bridge, replacing the current at-grade crossing near 69th Avenue for improved user safety.

The Anoka County Highway Department is executing this project through a collaborative partnership with the City of Fridley, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Rice Creek Watershed District. The Watershed District has also been exploring options for stormwater treatment and streambank stabilization to be executed alongside the bridge construction.

Project Schedule

The project is currently in the design and public engagement phase, with construction anticipated to begin in 2027.

The open house on December 11, 2025, is designed as an informal session with no formal presentation. Community members are invited to attend anytime during the two-hour window to review project materials, including the Current Layout, the updated Project Layout (November 26, 2025), the Bridge Cross Section / Plan View, and a Corridor Rendering.

Community Contact Information

For questions or to submit comments on any aspect of the Central Avenue NE (County Highway 35) and Rice Creek Bridge replacement project, the public is encouraged to contact the lead project representative:

Michelle Pritchard

• Title: Design Engineer II
• Phone: (763) 324-3162
• Email: Contact Michelle Pritchard

Additionally, detailed updates on this and other county construction projects are published weekly in the Construction Weekly. To subscribe to email notifications for these updates, please use the county's Notify Me service.

MinneapoliMedia