Bridges to the Past

Bridges to the Past. West City Park Bridge. , In 1879, land developer B.W. Benson cleared this land of the densely covered brush and platted it for residential development along the Sheyenne River. He set the center area aside for a park. Later, Benson sold the entire tract to the city for the creation of the City Park we know today. , The original park included a zoo and wading pool that no longer exist. Instead, tennis courts and a playground have taken their places. Summer concerts and community theater productions are still held at the bandshell. , A wooden bridge was originally built in this spot but was replaced by a steel bridge in 1899. The first concrete bridge was built in 1929 by the J.A. Jardine Company of Fargo, North Dakota. , That concrete bridge developed serious cracking in the deck beams. Due to the popularity and historic significance of the bridge, public input favored replacing it with a new arch bridge in 2007. , [photo and illustration captions] , . The black bear in the above photo was a favorite attraction at the zoo that was installed at the east end of City Park in 1911. The zoo, established during the administration of Mayor L. S. Platou, housed buffalo, elk, deer, coyotes, and eagles. , . Company F of the Second Regiment in the Dakota National Guard drilled in the open area of City Park in May of 1886. , . The previous West City Park Bridge had three full arch spans of 40 feet, 46 feet, and 40 feet. The original plans for this bridge were lost when the state capitol burned in 1930 so the current bridge is similar to its predecessor in design, but follows the appearance of the East Bridge built in 1926. The new bridge was built by Swingen Construction Company of Grand Forks, North Dakota. , . The inset shows the East City Park Bridge which has one full arch center span of 66 feet and half arch spans of 33 feet each on each end hidden by the foliage. , . Deck Section The new bridge uses precast concrete girders, where the old bridge incorporated cast in place concrete girders. Forms for casting the deck are then built using the girders for support. The precast girders are manufactured in a controlled environment with optimum concrete curing conditions. Reinforcing steel cables are prestressed with jacks during the curing process to provide additional strength. , . Plan The bridge was replaced with one of similar design and appearance, but with modern amenities such as a wider roadway and contemporary materials and construction techniques, while holding true to the original design. The new bridge is 22 feet longer and 16 feet wider than its predecessor. It also has waterway openings about 20 percent greater under the arches than the previous structure to allow flood waters and flood borne debris to pass more efficiently. It was designed by Kadrmas, Lee and Jackson, local engineers, to blend with the unique neighborhood of architecturally and historically significant housing dating from the 1880s to the 1930s. The bridge was paid for with a combination of Federal and County funds.