SWLRT Photography | Chad Davis Photography

SWLRT

Explore photos tagged SWLRT.

St. Louis Park Water Tower Over the Cedar Lake Trail at Night

September 2017 — The Cedar Lake Trail passes through the industrial district of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, illuminated here by the community’s water tower and nearby grain elevators. This segment of the trail follows a former railroad right-of-way once used by the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway, which connected local industries to the region’s freight network. The corridor’s transformation into one of the country’s first bicycle “freeways” in the 1990s marked a major milestone in urban redevelopment and sustainable transportation planning. Once lined with lumberyards, steel fabricators, and mills, the area surrounding the trail reflects the industrial origins of St. Louis Park—a community that grew rapidly in the early 20th century due to its proximity to both Minneapolis and key rail junctions. The trail today bridges that history, offering cyclists and commuters a route through a landscape where freight trains, utility towers, and legacy industry remain active reminders of the city’s manufacturing past.

Rail Cars Hauling New Track for the Green Line Extension

May 2019 —

Rail Loader Crew Works on the Southwest LRT Line in St. Louis Park

May 2019 —

Rail Maintenance Equipment Along the Southwest LRT Corridor in St. Louis Park

May 2019 —

Rail Crew Works the Beltline Boulevard Crossing in St. Louis Park

May 2019 —

Southwest LRT Trail Detour Sign, Minneapolis

May 2019 — A detour sign for the Southwest Light Rail Transit (SWLRT) project stands beside a bike trail in Minneapolis, showing the rerouted path for cyclists and pedestrians during construction of the Green Line Extension. The detailed map outlines temporary closures through the Kenilworth Corridor and Cedar Lake areas, where new light rail tracks are being installed to connect downtown Minneapolis with the southwestern suburbs. The project, one of the largest public works efforts in Minnesota history, has significantly altered popular urban trails like the Midtown Greenway and Cedar Lake Trail since construction began in the late 2010s.

Trail Detour Near the Kenilworth and Midtown Greenway Junction

June 2019 —

John Deere 843L Feller Buncher Near the Rail Corridor in St. Louis Park

June 2019 — A John Deere 843L feller buncher sits parked near the railway tracks in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, during the early stages of construction for the Southwest Light Rail Transit (LRT) project. Designed primarily for forestry work, this heavy-duty machine—with its massive front grapple and thick treaded tires—was adapted for clearing brush and trees along the rail corridor. The mix of heavy equipment, rail infrastructure, and suburban backdrop highlights the region’s ongoing transformation as the light rail expansion reshapes Minneapolis’s western suburbs.

Future Louisiana Station Site Before Green Line Extension Construction

June 2019 —

John Deere Feller Buncher at Southwest LRT Construction, St. Louis Park

June 2019 — A tracked John Deere feller buncher with a yellow cutting head sits idle beside the Cedar Lake Trail in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, during early site preparation for the Southwest Light Rail Transit (LRT) extension. The machine’s “KEEP BACK 300 FT / 90 M” arm warning and the trail’s closed fencing mark the transition from a popular cycling route to an active construction corridor. In the distance, the bridge approach and industrial structures hint at the scale of redevelopment that reshaped the rail and trail landscape through Minneapolis’s western suburbs.

Night Clearing on the Burnham Trail Ahead of Southwest LRT Work

June 2019 —

Steaming Mulch Piles Along the Midtown Greenway at Night

June 2019 —

Cleared Kenilworth Trail Corridor Near Condo Towers in Minneapolis

July 2019 —

Grove Crane Staged on the Kenilworth Trail for Southwest LRT Work

July 2019 —

Decking Removed from the Cedar Lake Channel Bridge on the Burnham Trail

July 2019 —

Safety Fencing Along the Kenilworth Trail Rail Corridor

July 2019 —

Rail Tie Replacement Along the Kenilworth Trail Corridor

July 2019 —

A Wooded Stretch of the Kenilworth Trail

July 2019 —

Trail Debris Piled Along the Kenilworth Trail in Minneapolis

July 2019 —

Fenced-Off Kenilworth Trail Corridor Awaiting LRT Construction

July 2019 —

Cedar Lake Trail Torn Up Near a Bridge During LRT Construction

July 2019 —

Freight Train Passes Cedar Lake Trail Construction at Burnham Road

August 2019 —

Formwork Tower for the Green Line Extension Bridge over Highway 100

September 2019 —

Bridge Construction Along the Kenilworth Channel

September 2019 —

Stacked Concrete Panels for a Railroad Crossing Rebuild

September 2019 —

Cedar Lake Trail Near the Green Line Extension in St. Louis Park

October 2019 —

Night Construction of the Cedar Lake Trail Tunnel at Wooddale Avenue

May 2020 —

Formwork Shoring on the Southwest LRT Bridge Over Excelsior Blvd

May 2020 —

Metro Green Line Extension Construction Staging Along the Kenilworth Corridor

July 2020 —

Construction at the Lake Street Bridge Over the Midtown Greenway

August 2020 —

Shrink-Wrapped Siemens LRV Awaits Delivery on Blue Line Tracks

February 2021 —

Kenilworth Tunnel Construction, Southwest LRT Corridor, Minneapolis

January 2022 —

Metro Green Line Extension Construction Along the Kenilworth Corridor

April 2022 —

Crane Work Over the Kenilworth Trail Excavation Site

June 2023 —

Kenilworth Trail rail construction in South Minneapolis

July 2023 — Construction on the Southwest LRT train project in South Minneapolis.

Steel Framing Rises at Bryn Mawr Station on the Southwest LRT Line

August 2023 — Bryn Mawr Station construction in Minneapolis. The station is part of the new Southwest Green Line light rail extension from Minneapolis to the western suburbs.

Overgrown Bike and Pedestrian Detour on the Cedar Lake Trail

August 2023 —

Overhead View of LRT Track Construction at Southwest Station

August 2023 —

Welders Work Pipeline Near Bryn Mawr Station at Dusk

November 2023 —

Bassett Creek Valley LRT Station nears completion in Minneapolis

March 2024 — The new Bassett Creek Valley Station connection to Van White Memorial Boulevard looking nice as it nears completion. Only a few more years before you'll be able to catch a train here... (Minneapolis, March 2024)

Downtown Minneapolis Skyline and Stadium at Dusk

June 2024 — The views from the new Green Line Extension are going to be pretty great! Like this one between Royalston/Farmers Market Station and Target Field Station.

Aerial View of Kenilworth Tunnel Construction Near Downtown Minneapolis

June 2024 — The half mile Kenilworth LRT tunnel, part of the new Green Line train extension, tonight as storms move through just north of Minneapolis. (Calhoun Isles, Minneapolis June 2024)

Sunset over Cedar Lake Trail in July 2024

July 2024 —

Southwest LRT tunnel construction on Midtown Greenway, Minneapolis

September 2024 — Metro Transit's Southwest LRT tunnel being constructed, as seen from the Midtown Greenway.

St. Louis Park Light Rail Construction – METRO Green Line Extension

October 2024 —

Royalston Ave/Farmers Market Station Construction, Minneapolis

October 2024 —

Bryn Mawr Station Platform Under Construction at Dusk

March 2025 — Sunset behind Bryn Mawr Station in Minneapolis. The train station will be used by the Metro Transit green line extension.

Lake Street Station, Minneapolis

June 2025 — Canadian wildfire smoke making downtown skyline barely visible from the Lake Street Station.

Midtown Greenway and Light Rail Construction in Minneapolis

July 2025 —

Bryn Mawr Station at Dusk During Green Line Extension Construction

July 2025 —

Evening Bike Ride Past Bryn Mawr Station Construction

July 2025 —

Midtown Greenway Lake Street Light Rail Station

September 2025 — Construction on the Lake Street Station of the new light rail line in Minneapolis. The Green Line is being extended to Eden Prairie.

Light Rail Testing at Sunset on the Green Line Extension

October 2025 — Siemens Type III S700 with Light Rail Happening Now testing wrap. The train car will be part of the new Southwest LRT Green Line Extension set to open in 2017.

Sunflowers Surround a New Bench on the Cedar Lake Trail

October 2025 — New bench installed on the Cedar Lake Trail in Minneapolis. The trail was rebuilt following construction of the new green line extension light rail project.

Light Rail Clearance Testing at W 21st Street Station

October 2025 — Metro Transit light rail vehicle at the W 21st Street Station in Minneapolis for the very first time. This morning Metro Transit towed a light rail vehicle through the line for the first time doing basic clearance testing. Construction on the green line extension began in 2018 and is set to open to passengers in 2027.

Metro Transit Train 108B Arrives at SouthWest Station

October 2025 —

Light Rail Train 108B at Southwest Station Platform

October 2025 —

Green Line Extension Train at SouthWest Station

October 2025 —

Southwest LRT train tests at West Lake Street Station, Minneapolis

October 2025 — Light rail vehicle leaves the West Lake Street Station for the first time. This morning Metro Transit towed a light rail vehicle through the line for the first time doing basic clearance testing. Construction on the green line extension began in 2018 and is set to open to passengers in 2027.

“Opens 2027” Test Train Crosses the Kenilworth Channel Bridge

October 2025 — Light rail vehicle on the bridge at the Kenilworth Channel. This morning Metro Transit towed a light rail vehicle through the line for the first time doing basic clearance testing. Construction on the green line extension began in 2018 and is set to open to passengers in 2027.

Southwest LRT Train Emerges from the Kenilworth Tunnel in Fall

October 2025 — First light rail vehicle through the Kenilworth tunnel. This morning Metro Transit towed a light rail vehicle through the line for the first time doing basic clearance testing. Construction on the green line extension began in 2018 and is set to open to passengers in 2027.

Southwest LRT Line Under Construction Near Bde Maka Ska in Fall

October 2025 — The new rails of the Metro Transit Southwest LRT green line extension. Lake of the Isles, Bde Maka Ska and Cedar Lake.

Aurora Borealis Over West 21st Street Station in Minneapolis

November 2025 — Vivid northern lights over the West 21st Street train station in Minneapolis.

West Lake Street Station Illuminated at Night

November 2025 — West Lake Street Station is part of the Southwest Light Rail Transit (Green Line Extension), an extension of Meto Transit's Green Line LRT.

Rail Crossing Sign at Bassett Creek Valley Station at Night

November 2025 — Lit up Bassett Creek Valley Station in Minneapolis. The new train station is part of the Southwest LRT Green Line extension operated by Metro Transit.

Snowy Night at West Lake Street Station

December 2025 — Really pretty snow tonight in Minneapolis. Here's the new West Lake Street train station, with the orange still continuing to grow on me. I'm not there yet.. but getting closer.