Great Lakes - Navigation help through MSP for long distance tourer

Coming in to St Paul from NE on Gateway State Trail enroute to Minnehaha Trail in Mpls. Adventure Cycling North Lakes map routing is Energy Park Dr to Raymond to Wabash to Emerald to Franklin, then cross river on Franklin Ave Bridge to West River Pkwy Bike Path southbound and on to Minnehaha Trail.

PRIMARY QUESTION: This routing seems okay but is there an even better way to cross the river and hook up with West River B.P.?

SECONDARY QUESTION: If Franklin Bridge is best, how difficult would it be to make a right off Raymond and then a left on to Franklin vs. the longer Raymond/Wabash/Emerald "U Turn" mapped by Adventure Cycling. The University to Franklin route is obviously shorter but they appear to be main roads - is traffic that bad? (At age 73 I'm looking for the easy way, not for superbiker challenges.)

Suggestions much appreciated.

Bob Palmer bobpalmer3 at bellsouth.net

Good luck on your tour. Where is it getting you off the Gateway Trail?

W River Pkwy (the bike trail at least) is torn to shreds at the moment and I'm not sure when it is supposed to be finished. The road itself usually has a lot of cyclists on it. University is a 2 lane - 2 way - busy thoroughfare so I'm not sure if it is what you are looking for.

This is the way I would go to get to W River Pkwy: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/333857
If needed, there is a cool co-op (Hampden Park) on Raymond which you'll come to shortly after the intersection of Raymond and Energy Park Dr.

You also have the option of using the bike highway - the Greenway - which will take you west as well. Not as scenic as Minnehaha but some better food options!

at Raymond and Energy Park you can see the Transit Way (it's the next stop light on Energy Park just past the little strip mall on you're left if your facing W-NW.) That's the bike/bus only corridor between the University of Minnesota East Bank and the UofM St. Paul campus. You could ride that west until you come out on the UofM East Bank right next to the new Stadium (you would be paralleling University Avenue.) Once there you could cut across campus and the East River Road is there. Take that down to Franklin or a little farther south to Marshall Ave/Lake St. and cut across. The West River Road is being worked on but I believe not that far south of downtown. Here's my option off the top of my head (trying to limit the combat riding for you.) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3090555