How long does it take to get a walking trail across six lanes of Coon Rapids Boulevard? In Coon Rapids, it took eight years from the first concept plan to the ribbon cutting.
On Tuesday, Sept. 29, a little rain didn't stop city, county and state officials from celebrating the new pedestrian bridge at Port Riverwalk. It's an arched steel truss between Zilla Street and Egret Boulevard. It carries the Coon Creek Regional Trail over Coon Rapids Boulevard and joins the two halves of a route that runs from Bunker Hills Regional Park to the Coon Rapids Dam. On the far side of the dam, a 12-foot walkway crosses the Mississippi into Three Rivers' Mississippi Gateway Regional Park. That means one paved trail now leads to the fall programs of two separate park systems, and October and November have plenty on both of them.
Eight Years, Three Funders and a Truss That Arrived Late
Before the bridge, trail users crossed the boulevard at the signal at Zilla Street, which used to be Avocet Street. Getting over that road took this long:
- 2018. The city drew up a concept plan for a bridge over the boulevard.
- 2020. The bridge became part of Anoka County's Coon Creek Regional Trail system, but financing problems kept the project on hold.
- January 2021. The Metropolitan Council's regional solicitation awarded money for a safer bike and pedestrian crossing that would connect to the trail.
- 2023. The Legislature's transportation bill put in $3.5 million, which revived the project.
- Contract award. Ames Construction won the job at about $4.6 million, well below the engineer's estimate of $5.88 million. The deadline was set for Sept. 30, 2025.
- October 2024. Construction was underway. The city engineer told ABC Newspapers the goal that season was to build the piers and, if possible, some retaining walls, and the steel truss would wait until the next year.
- Truss delay. The prefabricated truss was involved in a transport incident, and installation moved from late October to Dec. 11 and 12.
- June 2026. Opening was still on hold until replacement fencing and railing details were ready.
- July 17, 2026. The fencing was installed, leaving the lighting and the city name to finish.
- Aug. 21, 2026. The city's construction update said the bridge was officially open to the public.
The funding came from three levels of government. There was $2.4 million in federal money through the Met Council and the $3.5 million from the state. Anoka County added $250,000 from state active-transportation funds. Coon Rapids agreed to cover up to $600,000 if needed, using pooled tax-increment money from expired districts.
Some of the design choices are easy to see once you're on the bridge. It crosses at a diagonal so riders don't have to make a sharp 90-degree turn. Its grade was designed for wheelchairs and ADA accommodations. The wave pattern in the railings and truss echoes the river theme Port Riverwalk already uses. The north approach starts northwest of Zilla Street and runs in front of the parking lots of the former Anoka-Hennepin Regional High School and Nucleus Clinic. The south approach joins the existing regional trail.
Where the Trail Actually Goes
Anoka County plans the Coon Creek Regional Trail as a 7-mile paved route. About 6 miles are built, and about 1 mile is still in the plans. That last mile matters if you're mapping a route from your street. The bridge fixed the boulevard crossing, but the county still doesn't show the trail as finished from end to end.
Most of the trail follows Sand Creek and Coon Creek through heavily wooded land. That's the part of the route worth seeing in October. The county lists Al Flynn Park, Erlandson Park, Robinson Park and the Sand Creek Trail as local connections, so those are the likely places to join. If you'd rather not ride, Metro Transit Route 805 stops at Creek Meadow Drive and Robinson Drive, and Route 59 runs along Foley Boulevard between 121st Avenue and Goldenrod Street.
The two ends of the trail are open on different schedules. Bunker Hills is open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Its Activities Center keeps weekday hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Bunker Hills campground season ends Oct. 18, so the north end gets quieter for the rest of the fall. At the south end, the Anoka County Visitor Center at 9750 Egret Boulevard is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closing for lunch from noon to 12:30. Parking needs a vehicle permit, which costs $7 a day or $30 a year.
Across the Dam, a Second Calendar
The trail's south end is where the second park system comes in. Anoka County manages the parkland and visitor center on the Coon Rapids side. Three Rivers Park District runs the dam structure and its walkways. Three Rivers calls the 12-foot-wide walkway a popular bike route over the river that connects to Anoka County trails. Across the river, the Gateway Center at 10360 West River Road in Brooklyn Park is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Its wraparound deck leads to the Treetop Trail. Inside are river exhibits, restrooms and concessions, plus free backpack kits about birds, insects, trees and the Mississippi that you can check out.
Here's what's on the calendar from both park systems, plus two city events off the trail, through the end of November:
| Date | Event | Where | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 10 | Fall Colors Voyageur Canoe Trip | Coon Rapids Dam, Anoka County | Noon to 2 p.m., ages 12+, $12 per person, 30-foot voyageur canoe |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | Migration, Hibernation Adaptation | Mississippi Gateway | 9:30 a.m. to noon, youth program with a river hike |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | Fire Department Open House | Fire Station 3, 3150 111th Ave. | 10 a.m. to noon, station tours and fire trucks |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | Rocky's Pumpkin Patch | Sand Creek Park, 1008 Northdale Blvd. | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., free, one pumpkin per child while supplies last |
| Sun., Oct. 18 | Meet the Animal Ambassadors | Mississippi Gateway | 1 to 3 p.m., free drop-in; repeats Nov. 1 and Nov. 22 |
| Sun., Oct. 18 | Adapted Fishing and Archery | Mississippi Gateway | 1 to 4 p.m., ages 10+, $15 per person |
| Oct. 30 and 31 | Trick or Treat Geocaching | Mississippi Gateway | 10 a.m. to noon or 1 to 3 p.m., costumes encouraged, $7 per person |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Youth Drop-off: Fires and Fantastical Creatures | Mississippi Gateway | 9:30 a.m. to noon, ages 8 to 12 |
| Thu., Nov. 5 | Big Year of Rivers: Trivia Night on the River | Mississippi Gateway | 7 to 8:30 p.m., teams of 2 to 8 |
| Sun., Nov. 15 | Drop-In Discoveries: Fall Phenology | Mississippi Gateway | 1 to 3 p.m., free, all ages |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | 50+ Adventures: Opt Outside Hike | Mississippi Gateway | 10:30 a.m. to noon along the Mississippi, $6 per person |
Saturday, Oct. 10 has the most going on. The canoe trip leaves from the Coon Rapids side at noon, the youth program runs across the river that morning, and the Fire Department Open House on 111th Avenue wraps up just as the canoes head out. If you bring a fishing rod, Three Rivers' fishing deck is on the west side of the dam below the gates. Fishing isn't allowed from the dam walkway, and anglers need a Minnesota fishing license.
What to Check Before Heading Out
The south end of the route has had several construction projects at once, and the official notices don't all match yet.
- Dam walkway. Three Rivers maintains the walkway, and Anoka County sends questions about closures there to Three Rivers at 763-694-7790.
- The confluence bridge near Cenaiko Lake. Flood damage closed the old wooden bridge where Coon Creek meets the Mississippi, and the county replaced it with a higher steel bridge. The county's project page marks the bridge, the culvert and the trails around them "Completed," with restoration still underway. The county parks homepage still shows an older closure notice, so call before you go.
- Mississippi River Regional Trail near 86th Avenue NW. This year's contract replaces about 1,000 feet of flood-prone trail with a new segment about 300 feet inland, with work planned from June through October. We haven't found a notice saying that segment is finished.
- Bridge finishing work. The city warned that installing lighting and the city name could mean intermittent daytime closures of the new bridge.
- Archery hunts. Three Rivers has scheduled archery hunts at Mississippi Gateway for Oct. 19 to 21 and Nov. 2 to 4, and says the park stays open with normal access during them. Anoka County has approved controlled archery hunt permits for designated areas of Bunker Hills and Coon Rapids Dam from Oct. 24 through Dec. 31.
For an easy first outing, plan around the Oct. 10 canoe trip. Start at Robinson Park, follow the creek south over the new bridge, stop at the visitor center on Egret Boulevard and be at the dam by noon.
At Paulette Carroll, we love seeing projects like this one bring Coon Rapids neighbors outside together. If the new bridge has you wondering what trail access is worth to a home near Robinson Park or Port Riverwalk, we'd be glad to talk it through with you. Get your free home valuation or schedule a consultation today.
