May 9—GRAND FORKS — After being closed for about two weeks, the Sorlie Bridge in downtown Grand Forks and East Grand Forks opened on Monday, May 9.
After approval from both Minnesota Department of Transportation and North Dakota Department of Transportation, the Sorlie Bridge on DeMers Avenue reopened late Monday afternoon. Around 3 p.m. cars could be seen driving on the bridge from downtown Grand Forks.
In a news release, the city noted that residents should be advised the Red River is still in moderate flood stage, which means there are several areas in the Greenway that are still underwater.
"Use caution when using the trails on the Greenway," the release said.
The Point Bridge along Minnesota Avenue was
reopened last week
.
The Kennedy Bridge has remained open throughout the last two weeks as it's not impacted until the river gets up to 52 feet.
Last week, East Grand Forks City Administrator David Murphy told the Herald that when the river levels cause the Point and Sorlie to close, the bridges typically stay closed for around a week. But an inspection is required before the bridges are allowed to reopen to ensure there was not any structural damage caused by the water.
The Herald reported last week that the closure of the Sorlie Bridge was having a slight impact on businesses in downtown Grand Forks.
Nathan Sheppard, a co-owner of the Blue Moose Bar & Grill, said that the bridge closure had slowed down business at the restaurant during lunch hour though dinner wasn't affected too much. Jane Moss, the owner of the Boardwalk Bar & Grill, reported similar issues.
The Red River at Grand Forks/East Grand Forks was sitting in moderate flood stage at about 40.35 feet as of Monday at 11:45 a.m. The river, which had been dropping since last week, is expected to rise slightly to around 41.8 feet in the next few days. That is well below the major flood stage, which occurs at 46 feet in Grand Forks.