Public invited to discuss plans for new Sixth Street Southeast bridge over Zumbro River
Mar. 11—ROCHESTER — An open house to discuss a
planned Sixth Street Southeast bridge over the Zumbro River
is set for later this month.
The city of Rochester has set the two-hour event for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, in the Riverside Building lobby at 400 S. Broadway Ave.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the bridge project and related riverfront improvements and provide feedback on components of the plan, which include connections to the Zumbro River waterfront and traffic calming solutions that improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles.
"The community-informed design will be about more than just the bridge," project manager Ian Cochran said in a statement announcing the open house. "The project will benefit the community in various ways, including improved connections to the riverfront and a safer Sixth Street for all users."
The entire project has a $29.9 million budget with up to $19.9 million for construction coming from a federal transportation grant and $10 million for design and engineering efforts expected to be covered by state Destination Medical Center funds.
The goals of the project include:
* Creating a safe multimodal east-west connection to Discovery Walk, southeast neighborhoods and downtown.
* Providing greater access to the Zumbro River by creating an active, accessible, welcoming space that takes advantage of this natural amenity while also providing flood protection.
* Improving access to support redevelopment areas in the near term and support the economic vitality goals of the Downtown Waterfront SE Area Plan.
* Providing equitable transportation access to all through enhanced pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and Complete Streets.
* Implementing traffic calming and other safety improvements that limit traffic volumes and speeds in adjacent neighborhoods.
The open house is expected to be the first of a series of opportunities for neighbors and residents to influence the final design of the bridge, riverfront access and roadway improvements along Sixth Street between Second Avenue Southwest and Ninth Avenue Southeast. Construction is expected to begin in 2026.
