Main Street Bridge

Main Street Bridge. . , The first Main Street Bridge was built by Orin W. Rice as part of the Military Road project in 1853. The 140-foot wooden, single arch bridge served Anoka for more than 50 years. Around 1907, the wooden bridge was replaced with an iron bridge. In 1941 a concrete four-lane bridge replaced the iron bridge. It took more than a year to rebuild the spacious roadway that featured a median in the shape of a teardrop at the east end of the bridge., This new concrete bridge was dedicated with a grand program on August 1, 1942. The Anoka Herald newspaper described the program and speculated that, even with the tire shortage due to the war, people would drive to Anoka to see the wonderful new bridge. The article concluded with: "Anoka's new structure is the finest to be had.", Anoka's traffic outgrew this bridge by the early 1980s. The bridge was widened by 34' in order to add a turn lane, an additional through lane in each direction, and a pedestrian tunnel under the bridge. The major reconstruction project was completed in 1985. In 1988 Short-Elliot-Hendrickson of St. Paul earned an Engineering Excellence Award for their efforts in preserving the classic arch and character of Anoka's 1940s bridge., [Captions:] , Grand Opening of Iron Bridge - circa 1907, Reconstruction of Main Street Bridge - 1985, Photos and historical information courtesy of the Anoka County Historical Society.