Hennepin Avenue Bridge

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Hennepin Avenue Bridge
HennepinAveBridge.jpg
Hennepin Avenue Bridge in 2005.
Coordinates 44°59′07″N93°15′50″W / 44.98528°N 93.26389°W / 44.98528; -93.26389
Carries6 lanes of Hennepin Avenue (CSAH 52)
Crosses Mississippi River
Locale Minneapolis, Minnesota
Official nameFather Louis Hennepin Bridge
Maintained byHennepin County
ID number 27636
Characteristics
Design Suspension bridge
Total length316 metres (1,037 ft)
Width41 metres (135 ft)
Longest span190 metres (620 ft)
Clearance below 11 metres (36 ft)
History
Designer HNTB Corporation
Construction cost$28.6 million
Opened1990
Hennepin Avenue Bridges Archaeological Site
Underneath the Hennepin Avenue Bridge.jpg
Underneath the bridge, with a part of the original bridge on the right beyond the railing
Part of St. Anthony Falls Historic District (ID71000438 [1] )
Designated CPMarch 11, 1971
Location
Hennepin Avenue Bridge

The Hennepin Avenue Bridge is the structure that carries Hennepin County State Aid Highway 52, Hennepin Avenue, across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at Nicollet Island. Officially, it is the Father Louis Hennepin Bridge, in honor of the 17th-century explorer Louis Hennepin, the first European to see the Saint Anthony Falls. It is the fourth bridge on the site, having been preceded by the first bridge to cross the Mississippi and two other overpasses.

Contents

History

Background

The bridge crosses from the west bank of the Mississippi River to Nicollet Island. Another smaller bridge crosses from the island to the east bank. Three previous bridges had been on the location, two of which were suspension bridges, while a thirdwhich existed nearly a centurywas composed of steel arch spans. The original crossing, which opened as a toll bridge on January 23, 1855, was the first permanent span across the Mississippi. Other bridges were completed in 1876 and 1888. [2]

While the previous century-old bridge was aging, there was opposition to the plans for the new bridge. A $28.6 million price tag ($70.3 million in 2023), about three times more than a similar close-by bridge, as well as a seen-as-unnecessary suspension design given the relatively short 625-foot length. Hennepin County defended the decisions, saying they wanted a "landmark" bridge at the site; comparisons were made to the Minneapolis suspension bridges of the past, as well as the Brooklyn Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge. Additionally, federal funding requested by Martin Sabo had been contingent on the construction of a suspension bridge. [3]

Design

The bridge was designed by Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergerndoff. [4] The bridge could have been shorter, but twenty feet were added to the towers to avoid a squat look. [4] The suspension design was unnecessary from an engineering perspective but hailed as being "elegant," while also having a "Mussolini kind of quality". [3] Two 150-foot-tall towers hold up the two 1,037-foot spans. [5] Stairs and a ramp on the eastern bank connect pedestrians to West River Parkway below. [6]

Construction

The bridge showing West River Parkway underneath Hennepin Avenue Bridge (15809429592).jpg
The bridge showing West River Parkway underneath

Some 900 tons of steel cable, more than 5,900 feet, were ordered from Bethlehem Steel Corp in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. [7] Johnson Bros. Corp. of Litchfield, Minnesota did the work on the suspension cables. [4]

During construction, foundations of the 1855 bridge and 1870 bridge were uncovered and documented by the Minnesota Historical Society. [2]

On July 31, 1989, a fire underneath the bridge blamed on vagrants caused an estimated $80,000 in damage to construction equipment. The fire was underneath a yet-undemolished part of the old bridge and did not damage the new construction. [8] One lane of the new bridge was opened in August 1989. [4]

In June 1990, a month before the schedule completion of the bridge, Hennepin County spent $16,550 ($38,597 in 2023) to perform additional stress tests on the bridge, not wanting a repeat of the Golden Gate Bridge 50th anniversary celebrations where unexpectedly large crowds caused the deck of the bridge to significantly sag. [9] Officials banned traffic-closing events and large crowds from the bridge in December 1990, finding that large crowds combined with dancing could cause unacceptable levels of stress. [10]

All lanes of traffic on the bridge were opened for traffic on August 23, 1990. [11] Originally budgeted at $25 million, the bridge was completed for $28.6 million. [7] [10] While locally known as the Hennepin Avenue Bridge, it is officially the Father Louis Hennepin Bridge after the explorer who was one of the first Europeans in the area, and whom Hennepin County was named after. [11]

Renovation

In 2023, Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergerndoff (the original builders of the bridge) were selected by Hennepin County to help improve the safety and service life of the bridge, as well as modify the bridge deck to facilitate easier public transit, bicycle and pedestrian use. [12]

Archeological site

Each of the three previous bridges had historic value to the City of Minneapolis. Excavations in 1983, 1985, and 1987, and construction work during the building of the current bridge in 1988 and 1989, found substantial portions of the first and second bridges. Foundations of the first bridge, tunnels used for the construction of both, and various anchors and other elements of each bridge were discovered. The archeological site was included as an official part of the St. Anthony Falls Historic District. [1] :231–228 Various pilings and artifacts exist at First Bridge Park next to the bridge. [13]

The bridge appears in the 1992 film Crossing the Bridge . [14] The bridge depicts a fictional border crossing between the United States and Canada in Detroit, Michigan. A review panned the lack of continuity between the far shots showing a real bridge near Detroit and the close-ups of the very different Hennepin Avenue Bridge. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hennepin County, Minnesota</span> County in Minnesota, United States

Hennepin County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Its county seat is Minneapolis, the state's most populous city. The county is named for the 17th-century explorer Louis Hennepin. It extends from Minneapolis to the suburbs and outlying cities in the western part of the county. Its natural areas are covered by extensive woods, hills, and lakes. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,281,565. It is Minnesota's most populous county and the 34th-most populous county in the U.S.; more than one in five Minnesotans live in Hennepin County. It is included in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul–Bloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicollet Avenue</span>

Nicollet Avenue is a major street in Minneapolis, Richfield, Bloomington, and Burnsville in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It passes through a number of locally well-known neighborhoods and districts, notably Eat Street in south Minneapolis and the traffic-restricted Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stone Arch Bridge (Minneapolis)</span> Bridge crossing the Mississippi river in Minnesota, United States

The Stone Arch Bridge is a former railroad bridge crossing the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the only arched bridge made of stone on the entire Mississippi River. It is the second oldest bridge on the river next to Eads Bridge. The bridge was built to connect the railway system to the new Union Depot, which at that time was planned to be built between Hennepin Avenue and Nicollet Avenue. The bridge was completed in 1883, costing $650,000 at the time. 117 Portland Avenue is the general address of the historic complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicollet Island</span> Island on the Mississippi River in central Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Nicollet Island is an island in the Mississippi River just north of Saint Anthony Falls in central Minneapolis, Minnesota. According to the United States Census Bureau the island has a land area of 194,407 square metres (0.075 sq mi) and a 2000 census population of 144 persons. The island makes up a large part of the city-designated Nicollet Island/East Bank neighborhood. The island is named for cartographer Joseph Nicollet, who mapped the Upper Mississippi in the 1830s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">10th Avenue Bridge</span> Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota

The 10th Avenue Bridge crosses the Mississippi River near downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota and also in proximity to the University of Minnesota. The bridge was historically referred to as the Cedar Avenue Bridge in the days prior to the construction of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge when it connected to Cedar Ave. The bridge connects 10th Avenue Southeast, on the east side of the Mississippi River, to 19th Avenue South on the west side. The Seven Corners area of the Cedar-Riverside, Minneapolis neighborhood is at the southern end of the bridge. The downstream end of the lower Saint Anthony Falls lock and dam extends under the bridge. The historic Southeast Steam Plant is also located nearby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota State Highway 610</span> State highway in Minnesota, United States

Minnesota State Highway 610 (MN 610) is an east–west freeway in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. The freeway connects Interstate 94 (I-94), County Road 81, and CR 130 in northern Hennepin County to U.S. Highway 10 (US 10) in southern Anoka County. MN 610 crosses the Mississippi River on the Richard P. Braun Bridge between suburban Brooklyn Park and Coon Rapids. The highway is 12.3 miles (19.8 km) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Street-Marshall Bridge</span> Bridge in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Minnesota

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lowry Avenue Bridge</span> Tied-arch bridge that crosses the Mississippi River in Minneapolis

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">I-35W Mississippi River bridge</span> Bridge in Minneapolis, Minn., US, that collapsed in 2007

The I-35W Mississippi River bridge was an eight-lane, steel truss arch bridge that carried Interstate 35W across the Mississippi River one-half mile downstream from the Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The bridge opened in 1967, and was Minnesota's third busiest, carrying 140,000 vehicles daily. After only 39 years in service, it experienced a catastrophic failure during the evening rush hour on August 1, 2007, killing 13 people and injuring 145. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) cited a design flaw as the likely cause of the collapse, noting that an excessively thin gusset plate ripped along a line of rivets. Additional weight on the bridge at the time of failure was also cited by the NTSB as a contributing factor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Bank station</span> Metro station in Minneapolis, Minnesota

West Bank station is a light rail station along the Metro Green Line in Minneapolis. It serves the West Bank campus of the University of Minnesota, as well as the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hennepin Avenue</span> Major street in Minneapolis, USA

Hennepin Avenue is a major street in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It runs from Lakewood Cemetery, north through the Uptown District of Southwest Minneapolis, through the Virginia Triangle, the former "Bottleneck" area west of Loring Park. It then goes through the North Loop in the city center, to Northeast Minneapolis and the city's eastern boundary, where it becomes Larpenteur Avenue as it enters Lauderdale in Ramsey County at Highway 280. Hennepin Avenue is a Minneapolis city street south/west of Washington Avenue, and is designated as Hennepin County Road 52 from Washington Avenue to the county line.

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The Gateway District of Minneapolis is centered at the convergence of Hennepin Avenue, Nicollet Avenue, and Washington Avenue. Its borders are not officially designated or recognized, but are visible as the Mississippi River to the northeast, Cedar Lake Trail and the railroad tracks to the northwest, Fifth Avenue South to the southeast. and Fourth Street South to the southwest. The district includes a significant part of the Downtown West neighborhood and abuts the North Loop.

The Minneapolis Streetcar System was a proposed streetcar system for the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Extensive studies and plans for the new system were completed in 2007 and presented to the Minneapolis City Council in January 2008; on April 2, 2010, the Council voted to approve the plans and seek funding. On December 21, 2010 the Federal Transit Administration granted $900,000 to further study the Nicollet and Central Avenue corridors. In June 2021, after no further development on the system, a bill authorized the Metropolitan Council to use funds collected for the Nicollet-Central line to be spent on bus rapid transit funding.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hennepin Avenue Bridge (1855)</span> Former bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Hennepin Avenue Bridge was a bridge spanning the Mississippi River at Hennepin Avenue from the Minneapolis Bank to Nicollet Island. Built and completed in 1854 and opened in 1855, it was the first bridge to span the Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hennepin Avenue Bridge (1888)</span> Former bridge in Minnesota

The Hennepin Avenue Bridge, or the Steel Arch Bridge, was a dual-span hinged arch bridge crossing the Mississippi River at Hennepin Avenue from the west bank of Minneapolis to Nicollet Island. It replaced a 1876 suspension bridge, which in turn replaced an 1855 suspension bridge which had been the first span to cross the Mississippi. The northernmost span was built in 1888 and the southern span was built in 1891. After receiving renovations in 1897, 1931, and 1954, the bridge's northern and southern spans were demolished and replaced in 1988 and 1989, respectively, as they were replaced by the current Hennepin Avenue Bridge.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System  (#71000438)". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 15, 2006.
  2. 1 2 Kaszuba, Mike (July 13, 1988). "Excavation bridges gap to the past". Star Tribune. pp.  1B, 5B . Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Kaszuba, Mike (September 19, 1989). "It's a beauty of a bridge, with a beauty of a price". Star Tribune. pp.  1, 6A . Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Monaghan, George (October 17, 1989). "Maestro of suspension has gotten hang of bridge just right". Star Tribune. pp.  1E, 9E . Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  5. Thiede, Dana (June 28, 2022). "KARE in the Air: Crossing the Hennepin Avenue Bridge". KARE11.
  6. Mack, Linda (June 2, 1992). "Federal Reserve is a 'strange beast of a building'". Star Tribune. pp. 3E. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Plant gets largest suspension-cable contract". The Patriot News. Harrisburg, PA. July 29, 1988. p. B7. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  8. "Fire under Hennepin Av. bridge". Star Tribune. August 1, 1989. p. 13. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  9. "New Hennepin bridge will get stress tests". Star Tribune. June 1, 1990. p. 5. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  10. 1 2 Brandt, Steve (December 28, 1990). "Dances, big crowds banned form new Hennepin bridge". Star Tribune. pp.  1A, 12A . Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  11. 1 2 "Officially, it's Father Louis' bridge". Star Tribune. August 29, 1990. p. 4. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  12. "HNTB selected to rehabilitate Minneapolis' iconic Hennepin Avenue Suspension Bridge". HNTB. June 27, 2023.
  13. "First Bridge Park". Mississippi National River & Recreation Area. National Park Service. August 2, 2024. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  14. Parlin, Geri (May 18, 1991). "Local actors find movie roles in Twin Cities". The La Crosse Tribune. p. 2. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  15. Strickler, Jeff (September 11, 1992). "Twist, ending make 'Bridge' worthwhile". Star Tribune. p. 54. Retrieved January 29, 2025.