Stone Arch Bridge

Stone Arch Bridge
Stone Arch Bridge
	A view of the bridge from downtown Minneapolis
Coordinates	44°58′51″N 93°15′13″W / 44.98083°N 93.25361°W / 44.98083; -93.25361Coordinates: 44°58′51″N 93°15′13″W / 44.98083°N 93.25361°W / 44.98083; -93.25361
Carries	Pedestrian and bicycle lanes; formerly two tracks of the Great Northern Railway
Crosses	Mississippi River
Locale	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Maintained by	Minneapolis Park Board
ID number	27004
Characteristics
Design	21 stone arch spans, plus one steel-deck truss span
Total length	2100 feet (640 meters)
Width	28 feet (8.5 meters)
Longest span	197.5 feet (60.2 meters) (channel span)
Clearance below	24.4 feet (7.4 meters)
History
Opened	1883
	Stone Arch Bridge
	U.S. Historic district; Contributing property
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Location	Minneapolis, MN
Part of	St. Anthony Falls Historic District (ID71000438 )
Designated CP	March 11, 1971
Location

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.^[2] 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 ($17.8 million today).^[3] 117 Portland Avenue is the general address of the historic complex.

Located between the 3rd Avenue Bridge and the I-35W Saint Anthony Falls Bridge,^[4] the Stone Arch Bridge was built in 1883 by railroad tycoon James J. Hill for his Great Northern Railway, and accessed the former passenger station located about a mile to the west, on the west bank of the river. For a time, the bridge was dubbed "Hill's Folly" until the value of Hill's new bridge as a passenger rail link became evident.^[5]

The structure is now used as a pedestrian and bicycle bridge. It is a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 as a part of the Saint Anthony Falls Historic District, (District #71000438).^[6]

^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 15, 2006.
^ Cite error: The named reference AIA Guide to the Twin Cities was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Stone Arch Bridge". Minneapolis Riverfront District. Archived from the original on 15 November 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
^ Brandt, Steve. (May 31, 1989) Star Tribune Hennepin considers buying Stone Arch bridge. Section news; Page 7B
^ http://www.gngoat.org/stone_arch_bridge.htm
^ Cite error: The named reference MNopedia Minnesota Encyclopedia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).