Anoka-Champlin Mississippi River Bridge

Anoka-Champlin Mississippi River Bridge. Circa 1929. , Before this bridge was built, crossing the Mississippi River meant using either ice bridges or a ferry boat. The first ferry crossed the river at this point in the fall of 1855., The first bridge to span the river between Anoka and Champlin opened in 1884 and served horse and wagon traffic. It was a swing bridge constructed of iron with a wood deck and rested on Kasota stone and granite piers. By the 1920s, automobiles were replacing horses, and the bridge could not handle the load., The Minneapolis Bridge Company received the contract to build a new bridge in 1928. Horace E. Horton, a well-known bridge builder from Rochester, was the designer. Horton's bridge was a continuous arch bridge of reinforced concrete with eight spans and two approach spans. The open spandrel construction had twin concrete arches for each span. The estimated cost was $500,000., By the 1940s, arched bridges were deemed to expensive to build and prestressed girders took their place. The Anoka-Champlin Mississippi River Bridge was placed on the National Register for both its historical and engineering significance., A resurfacing project in 1971 replaced the bridge deck without changing the original integrity of the design. Traffic volumes continued to grow. Reconstruction was scheduled and a temporary four-land bridge was built beside the historic bridge in 1991. Edward Kraemer and Sons Company of Wisconsin removed the old bridge deck down to the arches. In addition to making the bridge wider, their work included stabilizing the arches and replacing the decorative railing of the original design. none of the historical integrity of the bridge or its elegant arches were compromised in the $8 million project. The temporary bridge was removed when the rebuilt bridge was completed in 1998., Originally built to accomodate [sic] horses and pedestrians, the original swing bridge, made of iron, a wood deck, and granite piers, could not handle the weight of cars and trucks., The arched bridge, built from reinforced concrete, replaced the original swing bridge and accomodated [sic] modern-day transportation. The bridge was restored in 1998., National Register of Historic Places 1979, Anoka-Champlin Mississippi River Bridge Timeline. , . 1855 First ferry crossed the river at this point , . 1884 First bridge span over the Mississippi River between Anoka and Champlin , . 1920 Automobiles replaced horses , . 1928 Minneapolis Bridge Company received contract to build new bridge , . 1971 Resurfacing project replaced the bridge deck , . 1980 Bridge placed on the National Register of Historic Places , . 1988 Discussion began concerning the repair, replacement, and reconstruction of the bridge , . 1991 Temporary four-lane bridge was built , . 1998 Rebuilt bridge was rededicated and opened for traffic