Kenilworth Trail

16 photos · 2019–2023

16 photographs tagged Kenilworth Trail, 2019–2023.

South Minneapolis Southwest LRT construction along the Kenilworth Trail rail corridor. — Construction along the Southwest LRT corridor in South Minneapolis. The project runs on the former freight rail alignment through the Kenilworth neighborhood and links downtown Minneapolis with Eden Prairie.

Southwest LRT construction site along Kenilworth Trail in Minneapolis with excavated earth and railroad tracks. — The Kenilworth Corridor carries freight rail, the Kenilworth bike and walking trail, and now the Southwest Light Rail Transit extension through a narrow strip of land between the Chain of Lakes and the Cedar Isles neighborhoods. The Metropolitan Council's Southwest LRT project, known as the Green Line Extension, runs nearly 14.5 miles from Minneapolis to Eden Prairie and adds 16 new stations. The trail recently cleared and being used for construction staging.

Red detour barriers and signs line a snow-covered Cedar Lake Trail in Minneapolis during winter construction. — A detour is in effect on the Kenilworth Trail near 21st Street in Minneapolis. The detour is in place during Metro Green Line construction.

Construction equipment and containment barriers along Cedar Lake during Metro Green Line Extension work in Minneapolis. — The Kenilworth Channel connects Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis, carrying both water traffic and the Kenilworth Trail along its banks. Construction here is tied to the Metro Green Line Extension, a light-rail project that runs through the Kenilworth corridor en route to Eden Prairie. Steel sheet piling and formwork mark the early stages of a bridge support structure, with turbidity barriers placed in the water to contain sediment during in-water work. The corridor has long been a point of contention in the project's planning, given its shared use by rail, trail, and waterway traffic.

Fenced pathway along Kenilworth Trail in Minneapolis during Southwest Light Rail construction in 2019. — The Kenilworth Trail construction seen on July 23, 2019. The trail was closed for years

Tree-lined path on Kenilworth Trail in Minneapolis during Southwest light rail construction in July 2019. — Trees being cleared out on the Kenilworth Trail in Minneapolis during Metro Transit Green Line light rail construction.

Paved trail winds through dense deciduous forest with mature trees lining both sides. — The Kenilworth Trail runs through the Kenilworth corridor connecting the Chain of Lakes area with downtown Minneapolis, following a former rail right-of-way once used by freight lines. The paved path is shared by pedestrians and cyclists and links to the regional Grand Rounds trail network. The corridor has long been the subject of planning debate as the proposed route for the Southwest Light Rail Transit extension of the Metro Green Line, with construction requiring the trail to be rerouted and rebuilt in sections alongside the new rail line.

Grove construction crane and equipment on railroad tracks along the Kenilworth Trail in Minneapolis. — The Kenilworth Trail follows a former Milwaukee Road rail corridor connecting Minneapolis's Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles areas to Hopkins. The corridor has been used for freight rail, bike and pedestrian paths, and is the planned route for the Metro Green Line Extension light rail. Construction crews have used the rail line for staging materials, including ties and ballast, during the extension's preliminary work. A Grove mobile crane, commonly used for lifting rail and bridge components, appears among the equipment staged along the tracks.

Orange safety fencing installed along Kenilworth Trail during Metro Green Line Extension construction in Minneapolis. — The Kenilworth Trail runs alongside active freight and light-rail tracks through the Kenilworth Corridor, a narrow strip of land connecting the Chain of Lakes to downtown Minneapolis. The corridor has long carried both recreational trail traffic and rail lines, a dual use that predates the current Green Line Extension project. Construction fencing here marks work tied to that extension, which is adding light-rail tracks through the same shared right-of-way used by the trail and freight rail. The project has required temporary trail reroutes and vegetation clearing along sections of the corridor during construction.

Deteriorated wooden bridge spanning Cedar Lake channel alongside Burnham Trail in Minneapolis during Green Line Extension — The bridge over the Cedar Lake/Lake of the Isles channel in Minneapolis. The bridge was removed and replaced during construction of the Metro Transit Green Line Extension.

Yellow Grove mobile crane on Kenilworth Trail in Minneapolis during Southwest LRT construction. — This Grove RT600E rough-terrain crane, operated by C.S. McCrossan, was staged along the Kenilworth Trail during construction of Metro Transit's Southwest LRT Green Line Extension. The crane can lift up to 60 tons and extend a boom beyond 100 feet, making it suited for setting bridge and tunnel components along the corridor. The Kenilworth corridor carries freight rail and a recreational trail between the Chain of Lakes and downtown Minneapolis, and became a major staging area for the light-rail line's tunnel and bridge work. C.S. McCrossan, a Minnesota-based heavy civil contractor, has worked on multiple segments of the Southwest LRT project.

Excavated construction site along Kenilworth Trail with brick building and modern apartment tower in Minneapolis. — Construction on the area that was the Kenilworth Trail that connected the Midtown Greenway with the Cedar Lake Trail. The trail was closed for years for construction of the new Metro Transit Green Line Light Rail line.

Burnham Trail in Minneapolis closed for Southwest LRT light rail construction, June 2019. — The Burnham Trail portion of the Kenilworth Trail in Minneapolis. Photo taken in June 2019 after the trail closed in preparation for the Southwest LRT light rail construction.

Cedar Lake Trail Closes at Cedar Lake Parkway — Closure of Cedar Lake Trail at Cedar Lake Parkway as part of the Metro Transit Green Line Extension construction.

Cedar Lake Trail Closes in June 2019 — Kenilworth Trail n Minneapolis prior to major light rail construction.

Kenilworth Trail detour with stop sign and construction barriers during Southwest Light Rail construction in Minneapolis. — The Kenilworth Trail at the Midtoiwn Greeenway pictured in June 2019.

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