Anoka–Champlin Mississippi River Bridge
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The Anoka–Champlin Mississippi River Bridge, also known as the Ferry Street Bridge, is a 10-span open
spandrel A spandrel is a roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, between the top of an arch and a rectangular frame, between the tops of two adjacent arches, or one of the four spaces between a circle within a square. They are frequently fil ...
concrete deck
arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its structural load, loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either si ...
that spans the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
between Anoka and
Champlin, Minnesota Champlin ( ) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 23,919 at the 2020 census. Champlin is a northern suburb of Minneapolis. U.S. Highway 169 and Hennepin County Road 12 (CR 12) are two of the main route ...
, United States. It was built in 1929 by the Minneapolis Bridge Company, replacing an 1884 bridge at the same site. The bridge was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1979 for its state-level significance in the themes of commerce and engineering. It was nominated for exemplifying the open-spandrel concrete arch bridges developed in the
Minneapolis–Saint Paul Minneapolis–Saint Paul is a metropolitan area in the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States centered around the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi, Minnesota River, Minnesota, and St. Croix River (Wisconsin–Minnesota), ...
area in the late 1920s, and for providing a key physical connection between two river communities with longstanding economic ties. With


1884 predecessor

The first structural span of the Mississippi River between Anoka and Champlin was built at this location in 1884. The original bridge consisted of four steel spans with a wooden deck measuring wide. One of the spans could rotate, allowing for the passage of
steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...
s and other large vessels. The bridge's wood decking limited traffic capacity, and individuals received a fine of $10 () if they crossed at a pace faster than a brisk walk. After the advent of the automobile at the turn of the 20th century, the bridge became inadequate. The U.S. War Department determined that in the event of a national crisis, it would prove too narrow and weak to support military vehicles, and would impede the swift flow of river traffic. In 1926 engineers wrote proposals for a modern structure to replace the outdated and insufficient original. Until a new bridge could be completed, the Minnesota Highway Department set a definite load restriction of six tons and posted signs to that effect. But the signage, heavy fines, and even threats of criminal prosecution failed to deter drivers with excessive loads from inflicting damage on the bridge.


Construction

During the 1920s
concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...
gained popularity as a material for bridge construction since it was cheaper than stone yet similar in its
compressive strength In mechanics, compressive strength (or compression strength) is the capacity of a material or Structural system, structure to withstand Structural load, loads tending to reduce size (Compression (physics), compression). It is opposed to ''tensil ...
. Designers of the new Anoka–Champlin Bridge used an arch form and encased steel to compensate for concrete's low
tensile strength Ultimate tensile strength (also called UTS, tensile strength, TS, ultimate strength or F_\text in notation) is the maximum stress that a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before breaking. In brittle materials, the ultimate ...
. Since it did not require painting, as steel did, the bridge was considered relatively low maintenance. Construction workers built the Anoka–Champlin Bridge's concrete arches using
falsework Falsework consists of temporary structures used in construction to support a permanent structure until its construction is sufficiently advanced to support itself. For arches, this is specifically called centering. Falsework includes temporary ...
—scaffolds and wooden forms used to pour concrete. This method proved time consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive. In the 1950s,
prestressed concrete Prestressed concrete is a form of concrete used in construction. It is substantially prestressed (Compression (physics), compressed) during production, in a manner that strengthens it against tensile forces which will exist when in service. Post-t ...
girder A girder () is a Beam (structure), beam used in construction. It is the main horizontal support of a structure which supports smaller beams. Girders often have an I-beam cross section composed of two load-bearing ''flanges'' separated by a sta ...
s replaced this type of bridge construction.


Later history

By 1991 the bridge had deteriorated to the point where it needed to be renovated. A temporary bridge was built alongside the current bridge, and the Anoka–Champlin Bridge was torn down to the piers and arches. A new, wider deck and support system were built. In order to keep its historic status, the ornamental concrete railing and other parts were duplicated from the old form. The bridge was reopened in 1998, and the temporary bridge was removed.


See also

* List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota *
List of crossings of the Upper Mississippi River This is a list of all current and notable former bridges or other crossings of the Upper Mississippi River, Upper Mississippi River which begins at the Mississippi River's source and extends to its confluence with the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinoi ...
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Anoka County, Minnesota *
National Register of Historic Places listings in Hennepin County, Minnesota This list is of the properties and historic districts which are designated on the National Register of Historic Places or that were formerly so designated, in Hennepin County, Minnesota; there are 195 entries as of November 2024. A significan ...


References


External links


Anoka-Champlin Mississippi River Bridge (Bridge 4380)
€“Minnesota Department of Transportation {{DEFAULTSORT:Anoka-Champlin Mississippi River Bridge 1929 establishments in Minnesota Anoka, Minnesota Bridges completed in 1929 Bridges in Hennepin County, Minnesota Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System Bridges over the Mississippi River Concrete bridges in Minnesota National Register of Historic Places in Anoka County, Minnesota National Register of Historic Places in Hennepin County, Minnesota Open-spandrel deck arch bridges in the United States Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota Transportation buildings and structures in Anoka County, Minnesota U.S. Route 169