The Pedestrian Bridge in Sartell is Now Open, and it Will Lead Somewhere Later This Summer

Sartell is a town along the Mississippi River in Central Minnesota. Instead of building a bridge to get over said river, they have repurposed an old one.

The Sartell Pedestrian Bridge or Old Sartell Bridge was built in 1914 to carry Sartell Street over the Mississippi River, connecting the east and west areas of the city of Sartell and linking Stearns County and Benton County. In 1984, the bridge was closed to vehicle traffic thanks to a new concrete bridge. It remained closed until Sartell Summerfest 2023, when it was once again opened to foot traffic.

The restoration of the bridge included adding overlooks and LED lights to the trusses that can change color depending on holidays and other major events. The lights will be on every night from dusk to dawn. This is a trait that many bridges across the state have, and it will be fun to have it in Sartell as well. The goal of this engineering project was to maintain as much structural integrity to the bridge as possible.

Unfortunately at the time, the bridge goes to nowhere, but the city of Sartell announced at the ribbon cutting that they have purchased the land on the other side of the river. They will be working on master planning and adding new walking paths to the town.

The grand opening of the bridge turned a great crowd. Lots of people came out to celebrate the event with the City of Sartell, watch the ribbon butting, and be the first people to walk across this historic landmark. It helped that it was a perfect evening with temps in the mid-70s and no wind. I thoroughly enjoyed the short-but-sweet ceremony and can’t wait to see what the city does with the land on the other side of the river.

@abbeyminke

My Friday night included a giant pair of scissors and a 109 year old bridge opening. Wouldn’t want it any other way! #TheSmallTownTourist #thesmalltownlife #summervibes #summerfestival #sartell #sartellmn #minnesotacheck #minnesota #summernights

♬ Good Vibes (Instrumental) – Ellen Once Again