DeSoto Bridge

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DeSoto Bridge
The DeSoto Bridge as viewed from the north.
Carries	Four lanes of Minnesota State Highway 23
Crosses	Mississippi River
Locale	St. Cloud Minnesota
Maintained by	Minnesota Department of Transportation
ID number	6748
Design	Trussed deck-arch bridge
Longest span	280 feet
Total length	890 feet
Width	70.5 feet
Clearance below	32 feet
Opening date	1958
Coordinates	45°33′40″N, 94°09′07″W

DeSoto Bridge is a trussed deck-arch bridge that spans the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It was built in 1958 by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The bridge is painted black, which is typical for railroad bridges but unusual for a highway bridge. The river banks on either side are relatively high, so the bridge requires deep trusses which arch over the river.

After the collapse of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis on August 1, 2007, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty ordered the DeSoto Bridge and two other bridges in Minnesota to be inspected. The three bridges have a design similar to that of the former I-35W bridge.^[1]

The bridge was inspected on August 3, 2007 and found to be structurally sound.^[2] However, on March 20, 2008, four gusset plates were found to be bent. The bridge was closed indefinitely as a precaution.

After inspections by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the National Transportation Safety Board, it was determined that the bridge should be replaced.^[3] The replacement project is scheduled to start in September, 2008 and be completed in 2009.

[edit] See also

List of crossings of the Upper Mississippi River

[edit] References

General references

Costello, Mary Charlotte (2002). Climbing the Mississippi River Bridge by Bridge, Volume Two: Minnesota. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications. ISBN 0-9644518-2-4.

Cited references