← 2026-10-25 edition · Sourced reporting
Published Oct 25, 2026, 10:19 AM Central · This version Oct 25, 2026, 10:19 AM Central · As of 2026-10-25
Saint Paul celebrates a rebuilt bridge—with reopening still ahead
MPR reports an October 24 community walk and ribbon-cutting at the rebuilt Kellogg–Third Street bridge. Traffic reopening is planned by November 15; the celebration does not mean the everyday route is open. [1] [3]
Check Saint Paul’s bridge project updates and detours before planning a trip →Saint Paul, Minnesota: MPR’s October 25 original report on the October 24 Kellogg–Third Street bridge ceremony and planned traffic reopening by November 15. Ceremony, construction progress and actual everyday access are different states.
- 1 source record
- Original reporting
- MPR News
Still open: Actual daily public reopening and final completion are not established. All open questions ↓
Reporting question · As of 2026-10-25
The question: What did Saint Paul celebrate at its rebuilt Kellogg–Third Street bridge, and when can people expect the connection back?
Saint Paul, Minnesota: MPR’s October 25 original report on the October 24 Kellogg–Third Street bridge ceremony and planned traffic reopening by November 15. Ceremony, construction progress and actual everyday access are different states.
Three different project states, not a measured construction timeline. MPR’s October 25 report; reopening and benefits remain prospective.
Read the process as a table
| Component | Meaning | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| October 24: celebrated | Community walk and ribbon-cutting, reported by MPR October 25. | [1] |
| By November 15: planned | Traffic reopening target; not a confirmed opening today. | [3] |
| Work still remains | Railings and landscape restoration; check current access before travel. | [3] |
Archive photograph · 2025-04-09 · Saint Paul Union Depot, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States

Understand the story.
A walk toward reconnection
Neighbors had a chance to walk across a connection they have missed. MPR’s Matt Mikus reports from the October 24 ribbon-cutting and quotes East Side residents looking forward to a more direct route downtown. The old bridge closed in July 2024. NTDS did not attend or interview those residents. [1] [2]
Room for more ways to travel
MPR describes four vehicle lanes and barrier-separated space for walking and cycling, with rebuilt intersections near Union Depot and Mounds Boulevard. Those are design features intended to improve the connection. The report does not measure safer journeys, shorter commutes or how many people will use it. [2]
The ribbon is cut; the route is still a plan
The reported target is traffic reopening by November 15. Railing installation and landscape restoration remain. Before a trip, check the city’s project page for construction updates and detours, and follow posted restrictions. Saturday’s community event is not confirmation of unrestricted public access today. [1] [3]
Read the funding number carefully
MPR reports $92.7 million in secured funding, combining state legislative bonds, federal grants and local funds. That figure describes project financing. It is not an independently audited final bill, a household saving or proof that every promised transport benefit has arrived. [4]
How we know4 scoped claims · 1 source recordView evidence
Each claim keeps its full assertion, date, source passage and limits. Source counts describe records, not independent corroboration.
1.A community milestoneAttributed
MPR’s October 25 account reports that people walked across the replacement Kellogg–Third Street bridge during an October 24 ribbon-cutting ceremony. The account quotes East Side residents looking forward to their connection downtown returning.
- Scope
- Saint Paul, Minnesota: MPR’s October 25 original report on the October 24 Kellogg–Third Street bridge ceremony and planned traffic reopening by November 15. Ceremony, construction progress and actual everyday access are different states.
- Evidence passage
- Opening paragraphs and both October 24 photograph captions. Resident account beginning Derek and Tracy Sciacca live on the east side.
- As of
- 2026-10-25
- Limit
- Reported by MPR, whose reporter is credited on the ceremony photographs. NTDS did not attend or conduct the interviews.
Retrieved 2026-10-25T14:11:40.337Z · MPR News
One original newsroom account, including reporter-credited ceremony photographs and attributed resident/official statements. Not an NTDS visit, interview, engineering inspection or financial audit.
2.A connection being restoredAttributed
MPR reports that the former bridge connecting downtown Saint Paul with Mounds Boulevard closed July 29, 2024. The replacement design includes four vehicle lanes and separated walking and cycling space.
- Scope
- Saint Paul, Minnesota: MPR’s October 25 original report on the October 24 Kellogg–Third Street bridge ceremony and planned traffic reopening by November 15. Ceremony, construction progress and actual everyday access are different states.
- Evidence passage
- Paragraph beginning The new bridge will have four lanes; paragraphs beginning The former half-mile concrete bridge and The bridge replacement stems.
- As of
- 2026-10-25
- Limit
- Design and intended access do not establish measured safety, accessibility compliance, traffic savings or current public opening.
Retrieved 2026-10-25T14:11:40.337Z · MPR News
One original newsroom account, including reporter-credited ceremony photographs and attributed resident/official statements. Not an NTDS visit, interview, engineering inspection or financial audit.
3.Reopening is still aheadAttributed
MPR reports planned traffic reopening by November 15, 2026, while railing installation and landscape restoration remain work to be done.
- Scope
- Saint Paul, Minnesota: MPR’s October 25 original report on the October 24 Kellogg–Third Street bridge ceremony and planned traffic reopening by November 15. Ceremony, construction progress and actual everyday access are different states.
- Evidence passage
- Opening planned reopening date; paragraph beginning While the public works department plans to open.
- As of
- 2026-10-25
- Limit
- A forecast date is not confirmation of opening. A one-day celebration does not establish daily access for vehicles, walkers or cyclists.
Retrieved 2026-10-25T14:11:40.337Z · MPR News
One original newsroom account, including reporter-credited ceremony photographs and attributed resident/official statements. Not an NTDS visit, interview, engineering inspection or financial audit.
4.Funding is not a final auditAttributed
MPR reports $92.7 million in secured project funding: $80.5 million in state legislative bonds, $7 million in federal grants and $5.2 million in local funds.
- Scope
- Saint Paul, Minnesota: MPR’s October 25 original report on the October 24 Kellogg–Third Street bridge ceremony and planned traffic reopening by November 15. Ceremony, construction progress and actual everyday access are different states.
- Evidence passage
- Final substantive paragraph beginning The total funding secured for the project.
- As of
- 2026-10-25
- Limit
- These are reported funding sources, not independently audited final spending or measured household savings. The quoted under-budget assertion is not independently verified.
Retrieved 2026-10-25T14:11:40.337Z · MPR News
One original newsroom account, including reporter-credited ceremony photographs and attributed resident/official statements. Not an NTDS visit, interview, engineering inspection or financial audit.
What remains open.
- Actual daily public reopening and final completion are not established.
- No independent engineering inspection, final expenditure audit, accessibility assessment or measured commute/safety outcome is attached.
- The municipal project page is a verified practical help destination, read separately. It is outside installed evidence-capture families and supplies no graph claim or freshness proof. All reported factual claims rely on the full permitted MPR original.
A changed opening notice, revised schedule, closure, source correction, engineering finding or audited final cost would reopen this account. Preserve the distinction between celebration and confirmed access.
THIS STORY IN TIME
Keep the dates with the story.
- Reported development
- Evidence as of
- First retained publication
- This version published
Publication times are Central. A development date and an evidence date can differ. Missing dates remain unrecorded.