Bridge to honor Mpls ex-mayor Sayles Belton

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak plans to dedicate a bridge to the former mayor he unseated more than a decade ago.

The mayor will dedicate the 3rd Avenue Bridge over Interstate 94 to Sharon Sayles Belton. She served two terms as mayor, starting in 1994.

Rybak, who'd never run for public office before, defeated her in 2001. He won in a landslide.

The bridge connects the Steven's Square neighborhood to downtown Minneapolis near the convention center. It was built in 2000, and will undergo renovations this year. The improvements include a $180,000 public art installation, commissioned as a tribute to Sayles Belton.

Artists can submit proposals to the city through the end of the month.

In a press release, Rybak describes Sayles Belton as a "bridge builder."

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