St. Paul’s High Bridge closure leaves only one route across the Mississippi

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With about 45 minutes to go at tonight’s SEIU Labor Day picnic and concert at St. Paul’s Harriet Island, a City of St. Paul sign-crew truck put “Road Closed” signs at both ends of the only remaining open bridge connecting downtown to the island. The worker speculated that the aim was to prevent or delay the concert attenders from returning back to downtown, the site of numerous clashes between protesters and police today. But come Tuesday, should the bridge remain closed, the way will be blocked for commuters coming to work in the city — and to an expected 150 or more semi-trucks who are planning a sanctioned protest that’ll head into downtown on the bridge. Police officers on site couldn’t say when the bridge will reopen.

The closure essentially locked down St. Paul. The bridges at Robert Street, Wabasha and now Smith are closed, leaving only the 35E bridge open. And Metro Transit has suspended service indefinitely.

Update: At 9:30 p.m. Public Works employee on the High Bridge said the Wabasha bridge has just been re-opened.