Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board approves MnDOT design for John Ireland Boulevard bridge

The Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board voted unanimously to approve a resolution certifying that the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s process met the board’s review and engagement requirements for the proposed replacement of the John Ireland Boulevard Bridge.

MnDOT project manager Matthew Parent, who has led the work for about two years, told the board the bridge “is deteriorating and does need to have the work proposed completed now.” He described the structure as a four-span bridge that had been load-posted in 2020 and said the replacement will combine three separate superstructures into a single superstructure while maintaining the 26-foot grass median, four traffic lanes, two bike lanes and raised sidewalks.

Parent said MnDOT funded a traffic analysis requested by CAP Board staff and the City of St. Paul; “the analysis did prove that turn lanes were needed and all 4 lanes should be maintained,” he said, noting that the final design adds a striped northbound left-turn lane. Sidewalks will be at deck level with a barrier separating bikes and pedestrians, and the historic gatehouses will not be impacted, Parent said.

Staff and presenters emphasized that the project is federally funded and has undergone required historic-resource review. Peter, a CAP Board staff member who read the resolution aloud, noted that MnDOT’s Cultural Resources Unit issued a Section 106 finding of no adverse effect that was reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Office. The resolution the board approved states, in part, that MnDOT’s process satisfied the board’s statutory review obligations and recommends approval of the current design while continuing interagency collaboration.

Board members took no substantive questions before moving to the resolution. A member moved to approve the resolution, a second was recorded, and Mr. Dahl conducted a roll-call vote in which each named member voted in the affirmative. Vice chair Dana Badgerow announced the motion “is approved and passes” and thanked MnDOT and City of St. Paul staff for their work. The board adjourned immediately afterward.

What the vote means next: the approval certifies the CAP Board’s review and clears a procedural step so MnDOT can continue toward final design and construction procurement. Staff noted the project was originally programmed for 2024 but is planned for delivery in 2025; presenters warned that further delay at this stage could jeopardize federal funding for the multiple-bridge program.

MnDOT and city staff indicated next steps will include continued coordination to study feasibility for future Capitol Mall enhancements and to integrate related projects such as the Rice Street rebuild, St. Paul 12th Street redesign and Kellogg Avenue extensions. MnDOT also committed an early feasibility study allocation (reported in the presentation) to explore retrofit options that could advance some Mall-scale improvements.

The CAP Board’s action was procedural: it certified that the review and engagement steps required of a federally funded, historic-resource-involved bridge replacement have occurred and endorsed continuing collaboration as MnDOT completes final design.