Rail Traffic in the Twin Cities

Rail Traffic in the Twin Cities. Historic Marker. , In the late 1800's rail traffic in the Twin Cities experienced a tremendous growth. As rail traffic increased, street crossings shared by railcars, pedestrians, and street traffic became more congested and dangerous., By the early 1900s, the University of Minnesota experienced its own period of expansion as its enrollment grew. The Northern Pacific Railroad, which once formed the southern boundary of the university, now ran directly through the center of campus. Railroad noise, congestion, and pollution became a constant disruption to classes and campus life., In 1922 the Northern Pacific Railroad began a 10-year program to improve these conditions by relocating tracks and raising pedestrian and street paths above rail crossings., Tracks were relocated to the existing rail corridor along the north boundaries of the university, and a new river crossing - Bridge No. 9 - was constructed. In 1924, Bridge No. 10 was constructed on the West Bank over 20th Avenue South between Bluff Street and First Street South. This separate crossing was necessary to provide safe access to the Minneapolis Gas and Light Company, located just north of the rail lines, and to the Bohemian Flats housing area, located below the bluffs of the west bank of the Mississippi River., Both bridges remained in service until 1981 when rail traffic on this corridor ceased. Bridge No. 10 has since been removed, but the Northern Pacific Railroad corridor crossing the Mississippi River was re-opened in 2000, by remodeling Bridge No. 9 for pedestrians and bicyclists.