Main Channel Bridge (Winona) consists of a pair of bridges, the original

cantilever bridge A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end (called cantilevers). For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beam (structure), beams; however, large cantilever ...

, and a concrete box girder bridge completed in 2016, that span the main channel of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

between

Winona, Minnesota Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the state of Minnesota. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf. The city is named after legendary figure Winona, who ...

, and Latsch Island. Another bridge, the

North Channel Bridge The North Channel Bridge crosses the north channel of the Mississippi River between Latsch Island (part of Winona, Minnesota) and Buffalo County, Wisconsin. The bridge has a street setup, with one lane in either direction. It carries Minnesota ...

, connects the island to rural Buffalo County,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. The bridge carries

Minnesota State Highway 43 Minnesota State Highway 43 (MN 43) is a highway in southeast Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highway 44 in Mabel and continues north to its northern terminus at the Wisconsin state line at Winona, where it becomes Wiscons ...

, which continues as

Wisconsin Highway 54 State Trunk Highway 54 (often called Highway 54, STH-54 or WIS 54) is a Wisconsin state highway running east–west across central Wisconsin. It is in length. Route description Minnesota state line to Plover WIS 54 begins at the we ...

at the Minnesota/Wisconsin state line on the nearby North Channel Bridge; in Winona, it connects to Winona Street. Construction on the original cantilever bridge was started just before the U.S. entered

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and the construction was hastened to finish in November 1942, despite labor shortages, difficulty obtaining materials, and high water. It was built in 1941–1942 by the

Minnesota Department of Transportation The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT, ) oversees transportation by all modes including land, water, air, rail, walking and bicycling in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The cabinet-level agency is responsible for maintaining the state' ...

(MnDOT). On May 17, 2008, the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

announced that the bridge would be on the Minnesota

sesquicentennial An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints. ...

commemorative stamp. Following an inspection of the bridge's

gusset plates Gusset plate is a plate for connecting beams and girders to columns. A gusset plate can be fastened to a permanent member either by bolts, rivets or welding or a combination of the three. They are used in bridges and buildings, as well as oth ...

, the Minnesota Department of Transportation closed the bridge on June 3, 2008, with over detours as an alternative. The bridge reopened on June 14, 2008. After considering a number of alternatives, including rehabilitation of only the original bridge, or construction of a new bridge and demolition of the original bridge, on August 23, 2012, the Minnesota Department of Transportation announced approval for plans to build a new two-lane concrete box girder bridge, prior to rehabilitating the original bridge. Construction of the new bridge began immediately upstream of the cantilever bridge in July 2014, and opened for traffic in August 2016. Following the opening of the new bridge, the original cantilever bridge closed for rehabilitation. The rehabilitated cantilever bridge opened July 1, 2019, allowing 2 lanes in each direction.

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References

External links

*, includes both Main Channel and North Channel bridges {{Crossings navbox , structure = Crossings , place =

, bridge = Main Channel Bridge (Winona) , bridge signs = , upstream = Wabasha-Nelson Bridge , upstream signs = , downstream =

I-90 Mississippi River Bridge The I-90 Mississippi River Bridge, or the Dresbach Bridge, consists of a pair of parallel bridges that traverse the Mississippi River, connecting the La Crosse, Wisconsin, La Crosse, Wisconsin area to Dresbach, Minnesota, Dresbach in rural Winona ...

, downstream signs = ---- Winona Rail Bridge (historical) (partial) Road bridges in Minnesota Bridges over the Mississippi River Bridges completed in 1942 Road bridges in Wisconsin 1942 establishments in Minnesota Steel bridges in the United States Concrete bridges in the United States Box girder bridges in the United States Cantilever bridges in the United States Historic American Engineering Record in Minnesota Historic American Engineering Record in Wisconsin Interstate vehicle bridges in the United States

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See also

References

External links