3rd/4th Viaduct + Development

[Wedgeguy]

You are correct, but as you can see what we thought in the 1980 is a different idea than what is now thought by a few.
Just looking at the map you want to thru 3rd & 4th streets into a thru streets to I-94. This would require building at least 2 new bridges if not more and to buy more ROW as your 3rd will be basically butting up against Hines new apartment complex off Washington next to the RR tracks. You will have to deal with the RR ROW as their track are set for possible expansion in the future. So you have a New bridge over the RR track for 3rd and to say the least a heavily modified bridge over the end of 394 which is on an uphill grade at that point so your bridge will have to rise as to allow tracks and buses to pass under it. In turning 3rd into a major thru street it would probably require the rebuilding of 3rd and that would also make using the block prohibitive as they would not stand up to such high traffic counts and trucks on a continuous basis. This would not be like the trucks slowly going thru the streets to pick up a load or two. But a busy road as it will still be the main west bound route out to I-94. So in doing so you will be taking part of the charm out of the area that you are trying to promote!! Is that a fair assumption?
With 4th you have to contend with the exit from 394 onto fourth. You would have to rebuild that whole bridge as you are now going straight across and not from above and down like it is today. Not sure if there would be any height issues with a lowered bridge deck, but let's assume not. Again you will be having to build new bridges or heavily modify an existing bridge and build a new bridge over the RR track even closer to the Northstar station.
Where we get that the viaduct is stagnating development in the north look I don't understand. There are 4 condo buildings along 4th. And office building is proposed for the Bookstack block. The Gurley and the Cameron are or will soon be redeveloped. The old Salvation army site will be ripe for redevelopment. Just to the south of the viaduct are at least 4 projects under construction or soon to be started. So if this is a stumbling block to development, why all of this activity that is happening on both sides of the viaduct?

[dingo]

Living in one of those 4 condo buildings, I would love to see 4th remove the viaduct. The viaduct + massive parking lot really creates a wall that for walking, biking and driving that is only further dividing neighborhood.

My one thought is does 3rd need to be the other outbound compliment to 4th St? Or could 5th st work better. It eliminates the need to build a bridge over the trench for 3rd, and keeps third as a more neighborhood st between 4th and Washington. While 5th already acts as a one way through to the new interchange and could easily be extended all the way to 94 where it could enter on to 94 north easy.

[woofner]

I don't think there would need to be any replacement connection. 7th St could handle another 10-15k cars per day, Washington could handle another 5k, and Lyndale with slight modifications could handle another 5-10k. The only problem would be additional cars on 1st/Hennepin. They really fucked downtown Minneapolis hard by building I-394.