Historical Tablet

Historical Tablet. . , The City of Cedar Rapids was named by the early pioneers as the place where they could safely cross the Cedar River on a solid rock bottom thru the swift shallow water rapids in the Red Cedar River near here before any of the bridges were built. , It was first bridged at this site in 1885 for use by horsedrawn vehicles and pedestrians as a six span iron and steel truss bridge with a timber floor that was built by the railway co. for double track street railway traffic. , In 1920 the first bridge was completely replaced by the city with a modern six span arch bridge that was designed for street railway traffic with a 60 foot roadway. Two 14 foot sidewalks solid masonry spandrel walls and balustered stone handrails by Marsh Engineering Co. and built by the Koss Construction Co. at a cost of $420,000.00. , The arches and piers of this second bridge still remain and the present bridge as redesigned by Ned L. Ashton was rebuilt upon the arches of the second bridge as an open spandrel arch bridge with a completely new deck 96 feet wide with an 80 foot roadway between new aluminum handrails by Cramer and Bayse Co. and the Des Moines Bridge Co. in 1964 at a cost of $920,000.00.