Hennepin sidewalk season, 6 August 2025

On 6 August 2025 the freeze-thaw cycle left a run of heaved sidewalk panels on Hennepin Avenue East between the island bridge and First Avenue Northeast. Residents who walk to the grocery and the bus stop asked NIEBNA to log the worst spots before spring construction bids closed.

We sent a photo set to Ward 3 and the Park Board district office, and we asked nearby businesses to keep sandwich boards off the narrowed stretches so a stroller or a cart can still pass. Sidewalk season here is not cosmetic. It is how island and East Bank households reach the river without stepping into traffic.

Thank you to everyone who marked a panel with chalk so the crew could find it after the snow melted.