Lowry Avenue Bridge
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| Lowry Avenue Bridge | |
|---|---|
 A view from the west bank of the Mississippi, just south of the bridge, showing four of the five truss spans. |
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| Carries | Two lanes of CSAH 153 (Lowry Avenue North) |
| Crosses | Mississippi River |
| Locale | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Maintained by | Hennepin County, Minnesota |
| ID number | 2723(726) |
| Design | Truss bridge |
| Longest span | 143 feet |
| Total length | 889 feet |
| Width | 57.2 feet |
| Clearance below | 33 feet |
| Opening date | 1905; remodeled in 1958, 2006 |
| Bridges over the Mississippi in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Lowry Ave. Bridge is the third bridge, in the middle of this image |
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| Coordinates | |
The Lowry Avenue Bridge is a truss bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is notable in that it has a steel grid deck that drains directly through the mesh, as opposed to the more common concrete deck.
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[edit] History
The original bridge at this location was built in 1905. This bridge lasted 51 years until it became too weak to carry traffic.
In 1958, five new truss spans were built in this location, using the same piers but raised 20 feet to allow navigation on the upper Mississippi River.
Lead-based paint was removed from the bridge during a 2004 repainting effort and the steel grid deck was replaced in 2003.
On April 25, 2008, Hennepin County, which is responsible for the bridge, closed the bridge due to safety concerns. The bridge is scheduled to be demolished in 2009, and replaced by the end of 2011 [1] if funding is obtained.
[edit] State of current bridge
During the 2004 repainting, engineers discovered that the pier 3 bearings (east side of navigation channel) had displaced roughly 11 inches east of their original location as a result of unexpected movement of that pier (west) towards the main river channel. Hennepin County contracted with Wiss, Janey, Elstner and Associates (WJE) to investigate and report on the cause and extent of damage. The consultant's report concluded that evidence suggested the pier underwent many years, perhaps 50, of creep deflection due to sustained lateral earth pressure at the foundation which was held in check by the bearing assemblies. The bearing assemblies ultimate strength was finally overcome sometime in 2004 which allowed the unrestrained and rapid movement of the pier. The structural engineers at WJE were unable to predict the magnitude of future pier displacements. [2]
The bridge was closed at 10:00 AM on April 25, 2008; construction of a replacement bridge is expected to be finished by 2011.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Costello, Mary Charlotte (2002). Climbing the Mississippi River Bridge by Bridge, Volume Two: Minnesota. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications. ISBN 0-9644518-2-4.
- ^ Hennepin County will close Lowry Avenue Bridge
- ^ LOWRY AVENUE BRIDGE:Investigation of Westward Displacement of Pier 3, 2004 - Wiss, Janey, Elstner and Associates
[edit] External links
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