The bridge over the Minnehaha Creek on West 54th Street is a simple steel
girder bridge. It has a concrete deck, but that deck has long since been
paved over with blacktop. This area of Edina was acquired as part of the first
municipal park in the city. This would suggest that this bridge might be the
original bridge at this location. Arden Park was initially developed as a
depression era public works program. This bridge might also have been funded
in the same manner.
The 54th Street Bridge is relatively low. There is also a small cascade
located just upstream of the bridge that is a Class II rapids. That means
that canoe traffic has to negotiate the rapids, make a quick turn, then duck
to get under the bridge. As a result, it is highly recommended that canoe
traffic portage around this structure. It is reported that this rapids can
be especially nasty during periods of low water due to submerged rocks that
can damage the bottom of a canoe.
The photo above is a view looking upstream towards the south face of the
54th Street Bridge from the west bank of the creek. The waterfall located
just north of the bridge is visible through the bridge span. The photo
below is looking south towards the upstream face of the bridge from the
canoe landing on the east bank of the creek.
These two photos are two more views of the south face of the 54th Street
Bridge from different vantage points along the west bank of the creek.
The photo above is looking northwest across the bridge deck from near the
southeast corner of the structure. Minnehaha Boulevard continues along the
east back of the creek off of the right edge of the photo. The photo below is
looking west down the length of the bridge deck.
The photo below is looking east down the length of the bridge deck into the
bright morning sun. The photo below is a similar view along the downstream
south face of the structure.