As bridge comes down, photographers mourn iconic location for Mpls skyline shots

As Minneapolis prepares to demolish the 24th Street pedestrian bridge in the coming days, photographers of all stripes are mourning the location for some of the most iconic shots of the city. 

For decades, the best picture of a rapidly changing Minneapolis skyline was through a chain-link fence above Interstate 35W—but construction on the road is forcing the city to take down the bridge next week for several years before eventually rebuilding it.

Professional photographers will tell you the freeway provides perfect leading lines which direct the eye toward Minneapolis' skyline, leading thousands to walk the bridge every year in search of the perfect shot. In recent years several holes have been cut in the fence which allow a better vantage point.

"The view is great," said Paultina Rolley, who took to the bridge Thursday to take a picture before the bridge is demolished. "Downtown has changed a lot in 50 years. It's just beautiful."

As a part of the project the new bridge will also drop 20 feet, which will present a different view that will likely be less of a vantage point for photographers. The good news, however, is that the new bridge will no longer feature a chain link fence, giving pedestrians an unobstructed view of the next 50 years of Minneapolis changing skyline.

“I think we’re all going to miss the bridge," said David Aeikens of the Minnesota Department of Transportation. "But it will be much better when it comes back.”