Bridge Photos

Well, it took me a few days to recover from the harrowing evening of trying to get a night photo of one of my favorite bridges.  But I finally got them printed and mounted on ATC cards for the very first ATC swap I get to  hostess!!  Here they are:

Third Avenue Bridge
The Third Avenue Bridge is the longest S-curve shaped concrete arch bridge in the world. The bridge was completed in June of 1918. The curves in the bridge were dictated by the rock in the upper level of the Saint Anthony falls. By the 1970s, the Third Avenue Bridge had deteriorated badly. Due to cost, it probably would have been cheaper to abandon the refurbishing project and tear the bridge down, but the city decided to continue. The refurbished bridge opened in late 1980.

Stillwater Lift Bridge
The 1931 Stillwater Bridge, spanning the St. Croix River, was the last vertical-lift bridge to be completed. The 140' central span is engineered for a rise up to 51'.

Stone Arch Bridge
Completed in 1883 for Manitoba Railway, this is the only arched bridge made of stone along the entire length of the Mississippi River. It curves over the river just below St. Anthony Falls. It was built of locally-quarried limestone and granite, and also limestone quarried in Iowa. In 1994, the Stone Arch Bridge became a pedestrian and biking bridge.

Father Louis Hennepin Bridge
The Father Louis Hennepin Bridge - The location of this new bridge was the site of what is believed to be the first permanent bridge over the Mississippi River. The original very important bridge over the Mississippi River is now the most beautiful bridge (especially when lit at night) on this river. The first bridge was built in 1854 and was opened on January 23, 1855. The new bridge was opened in September of 1990.

While the photos are all mine, I want to thank and acknowledge John Weeks for his thorough website page of the bridges in the Minneapolis area.  There are so many more.  Here is a link to his website:  http://www.johnweeks.com/highway/bridges.html

Thanks, John!!