At the beginning of the year this important work had advanced far enough to assure its completion for the proposed Civic Celebration. It was, however, evident that every day would have to be taken ad vantage of, and the work on the four bridges was therefore pushed as fast as weather and other controlling conditions would permit. All necessary precautions were taken to protect the concrete and masonry work of the bridges from frost, and the winter operations, notwithstanding the often very cold and stormy weather, resulted in very satisfactory work.
Bridge No. 2, built by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company, was constructed under considerable difficulties because the usual traffic over the bridge had to be maintained. It was also found that the center and west abutments, on account of the unstable soil conditions encountered, required deeper foundations, and this, with other necessary changes to this structure, caused delays and increased the estimated cost from J18.500.00 to $28,400.00. During the winter months the La Crosse Dredging Company built a new and larger hull for their orange-peel dredge on the grounds just south of Bridge No. 2, transferred to it the machinery from Lake of the Isles, and began dredging operations on the lagoon April 14th. The hydraulic dredge at Lake of the Isles began operations April 3rd and worked in different parts of the lake, cleaning up shallow places and pumping gravel for the boulevard fill between the steel railroad bridge and Lake Street and the adjacent low triangle between the boulevard and Knox Avenue. The hydraulic dredge passed under Bridge No. 3 May 14th and under Bridge No. 2 on May 18th into the lagoon in order to complete the latter for the proposed ceremony of the linking of the lakes, which was to take place July 5th.
The lagoon excavation furnished a very excellent gravel and sand fill for the approaches to Bridge No. 1. On June 16th the hydraulic dredge was moved under Bridge No. 1 into Lake Calhoun and began dredging operations along the north shore of the lake. The old Lake Street roadway was raised and widened to 114 feet so as to accommodate the traffic road, the double tracks of the St. Louis Park line of the Twin City Rapid Transit Company, the boulevard, and two sidewalks. In the mean time work on all bridges progressed rapidly. Bridge No. 1 was completed about May 1st, Bridge No. 2 June 15th, Bridge No. 3 May 24th, and Bridge No. 4 June 1st. Large forces of men and teams were employed to build the approaches and grade and dress the roadways, and by July 1st everything was finished as far as it was expected that this work could be completed. On account of the lack of necessary material to fill the low land between the H. & D. tracks and Lake Street it was decided to extend the lagoon to the west, so gaining the filling material and increasing the size of the lagoon. After the banks of this lagoon have been graded down and properly planted a very pretty water and planting effect will be se cured, and I believe that this change will prove quite satisfactory in the end.
The main features, the bridges and their approaches, are now finished but the work is still far from complete, and while the trans formation brought about through this important work is great and inspiring, its full value will not be realized until all gradings are finished, the lawns and banks seeded and planted, and the whole so embellished as to change the present crude, unfinished appearance to a magnificent landscape picture seldom equaled. While it is to be regretted that the H. & D. division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company with its elevated tracks mars the beauty of those parks, cutting them in two, it must be admitted that the en trance to our city over that road is undoubtedly very pleasing to all travelers and gives them a good and lasting impression.
-Twenty-Ninth Annual Report
Board of Park Commissioners
City of Minneapolis
Nineteen hundred-Eleven