Geoff Martin Studio Urban Design Placemaking Landscape Architecture + Art
BURNSVILLE I35W GATEWAY BRIDGES, Burnsville, MN
ASLA-MN Merit Award
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Interstate 35W crosses into Burnsville over the Minnesota River and, for tens of thousands of motorists per day, serves as the gateway to the City. Welcoming steel arches span the entire length of both the Highway 13 and Burnsville Parkway bridges, culminating at rustic limestone wing walls of local bedrock integrate the horizontal form into the prairie landscape. The bridges are accented by steel medallions, railings and center pieces that represent a careful hybridization of indigenous plant and animal forms, as well as hubcaps and hood ornaments. The central element on the Highway 13 bridge is derived jointly from a locally discovered prehistoric bison skeleton and the cars that speed beneath.
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Highway 13 Bridge Concept Sketch
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The bridges challenged standards by stepping away from the typical “aesthetic upgrades” applied to highways and instead bring a new palette to auto-oriented infrastructure. The bridges announce the presence of Burnsville boldly and creatively. By conjuring both the natural and cultural heritage of the community, the bridges welcome motorists to the City, inform visitors and residents, and suggest a dialog about the increasingly standardized treatment of highway bridges that serve as community gateways. In a very short time these bridges have become a regional landmark and memorable entry to the city.
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ROLE: Geoff Martin, as lead designer and manager, facilitated the design process, prepared concepts through detail design.
Highway 13 Bridge Details
Burnsville Parkway Bridge
Burnsville Parkway Bridge Concept Sketch
Burnsville Parkway Bridge Details