Plymouth Avenue bridge in Mpls. could be closed for more than year

The Plymouth Avenue bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis could be closed for more than a year while the city works on fixing corroded internal cables that help hold the bridge up.

The corrosion was discovered inside the bridge's concrete box girders in October. The city has closed the bridge to all traffic, but a preliminary report says it could be reopened for walkers and bikers.

But city engineer Steve Kotke said the span won't carry traffic, and that the city may have to remove snow from the deck to lighten the load on the bridge.

"Probably best case scenario is that it would not be open until late 2011 or early 2012 and once again, that's probably more dependent on our ability to find the funds," Kotke said.

Kotke said it will take up to $10 million to repair the cables and reconfigure drains to prevent more damage. He said the city is hoping for state help.