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The bridge, which carries the neighborhood over the Kenilworth Lagoon, was closed June 2 for two days for repair work adjacent to the span, according to the City of Minneapolis. The surrounding street project is part of the city's 2026 Concrete Streets Rehabilitation program and includes repairing select concrete panels, upgrading pedestrian ramps at corners and a final diamond grind across the roadway. One-way traffic restrictions are in place on Sheridan Avenue and 21st Street while the work proceeds.

Kenwood is one of the more compact neighborhoods in Ward 7, a grid of curving, tree-lined streets between Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake. That layout leaves little slack in the street network, so a single closed bridge or one-way block reroutes more traffic than the same restriction would elsewhere.

Concrete rehabilitation is among the more disruptive forms of street work because it often means replacing full panels rather than a quick resurfacing, and the city schedules it in concentrated summer windows. Minnesota's freeze-thaw cycle is hard on pavement: water seeps into cracks, freezes and breaks the road apart from within, so a rebuilt concrete street can hold for a generation where patched asphalt needs attention within a few years.

Ward 7 is represented by Council Member Elizabeth Shaffer, who was elected in 2025; her office can be reached at 612-673-2207 or [email protected]. The city directs project questions to its 311 service and posts updates on the Concrete Streets Rehabilitation page.