I-35W Minnesota River bridge

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For the bridge in Minneapolis that collapsed in 2007, see I-35W Mississippi River bridge.
Minnesota River Bridge
Carries Six lanes of Interstate 35W
Crosses Minnesota River
Locale near Bloomington, Minnesota
Maintained by Minnesota Department of Transportation
ID number 5983[1]
Design Plate girder bridge
Total length 1446 feet
Width 103 feet (six traffic lanes)
Clearance below 54 feet
Opening date 1960
Coordinates 44°48′01″N, 93°17′24″W

The I-35W Minnesota River Bridge is a six-lane steel girder bridge that carries Interstate 35W across the Minnesota River between Bloomington, Minnesota and Burnsville, Minnesota. It was built in 1960 by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Contents

[edit] History

In March 1989, there was discussion of easing traffic congestion by opening two previously closed lanes leading to the bridge.[2] William Crawford, the district engineer in charge of the project, believed that there would be subsoil problems at the north end of the bridge if the lanes were opened. In response, then Governor Rudy Perpich ordered a soil study at the north end of the Interstate Hwy. 35W bridge over the Minnesota River to see if the two previously barricaded lanes could be opened to traffic. There was concern the $15 million investment to build the expanded approaches would be lost since, according to a Department of Transportation March 1989 statement, "the current bridge will be replaced eventually by a higher bridge."[2][3]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ I-35W Minnesota River Crossing, Bloomington, MN to Burnsville, MN (2005). Retrieved on 2007-08-04.
  2. ^ a b Cassano, Dennis. (March 17, 1989) Star Tribune. Perpich orders study of closed I-35W bridge lanes. Section News, Page 8B.
  3. ^ Politics and Freeways: Building the Twin Cities Interstate System Patricia Cavanaugh University of Minnesota, p. 77, October 2006

[edit] External links