Two popular Twin Cities bike trails to shut down for years

Kenilworth Trail signs
Cyclists on the Kenilworth trail where it crosses Cedar Lake Parkway in Minneapolis on Aug. 10, 2013.
Hart Van Denburg for MPR News 2013

Two popular Twin Cities bike trails will shut down Monday so work can begin on a new light rail line.

The South Cedar Lake Trail between Hopkins and France Avenue in St. Louis Park will be closed through the fall of 2021. The Kenilworth Trail in Minneapolis will be closed from the Midtown Greenway to West 21st Street through the summer of 2022.

Trevor Roy, a spokesperson for the Southwest light rail project, said workers plan to start clearing vegetation along the route.

"There'll be some trees. There'll be some invasive species removal, brush that'll be removed," he said. "A lot of what will be cut down is going to remain on site as part of erosion control."

Roy said detours will be posted for both trails.

Closure and detour map
Closure and detour map for the bike trails impacted by the Southwest light rail project.
Courtesy of Three Rivers Park District

The $2 billion, 14-mile line is scheduled to open in 2023 and will connect downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie.

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