Dubuque–Wisconsin Bridge on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The Dubuque–Wisconsin Bridge is a steel Tied-arch automobile bridge connecting
In the late 1970s and the early 1980s, city officials became convinced that the Eagle Point Bridge was no longer adequate for the city's needs. They determined that a four lane bridge would be needed for the increasing traffic that was anticipated.
Several names for the bridge were considered for the new bridge. Included among the names suggested was one that honored the pioneer priest
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque (, ) is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 59,667 at the 2020 United States census. The city lies along the Mississippi River at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a region ...
, with still largely rural Grant County, Wisconsin
Grant County is the most southwestern county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,938. Its county seat is Lancaster and its largest city is Platteville. The county is named after the Grant River, in t ...
, over 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 ...
. It is one of two automobile bridges in the Dubuque area, the other being the Julien Dubuque Bridge
The Julien Dubuque Bridge is a bridge over the Mississippi River that connects Dubuque, Iowa and East Dubuque, Illinois. The bridge is part of U.S. Route 20 (US 20). It is one of two automobile bridges over the Mississippi in the area (t ...
, which is located about south.
The bridge is a four lane, limited access bridge and is part of US Highway 61/ US Highway 151 (US 61/US 151). This bridge replaced the older Eagle Point Bridge that previously served as the connection between Dubuque and Wisconsin.
History
In the late 1970s and the early 1980s, city officials became convinced that the Eagle Point Bridge was no longer adequate for the city's needs. They determined that a four lane bridge would be needed for the increasing traffic that was anticipated.
Several names for the bridge were considered for the new bridge. Included among the names suggested was one that honored the pioneer priest Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli
Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli, Order of Preachers, OP (November 4, 1806 – February 23, 1864) was a pioneer Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar and Catholic missionary priest who helped bring the Church to the Iowa-Illinois-Wisconsin tri-stat ...
.
When the Dubuque–Wisconsin Bridge opened in 1981, it ended on an island in the river called City Island, formerly known as Ham's Island (as Mathias Ham once owned the land). From City Island, a new bridge was constructed over the Peosta Channel of 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 ...
, along an alignment that connected with East 16th Street. City Island has since been named Chaplain Schmitt Memorial Island in honor of Father Aloysius Schmitt, who was killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...
on December 7, 1941.
In the late 1980s, a riverfront expressway for US 61 and US 151 was funded. This nearly mile-long curving bridge was designed to fill in the gap between the Dubuque–Wisconsin Bridge and the new waterfront expressway. The bridge crosses the Peosta Channel of the Mississippi River, as well as a backwater pond. Despite crossing two bodies of water, only 5 of the 20 spans of the bridge are over water.
Upon completion in 1983, traffic was shifted over from the Eagle Point Bridge to the new bridge. The Eagle Point Bridge was demolished soon afterward.
In the early 1990s, the approach to the bridge was rebuilt to accommodate the new four lane US 61/US 151 highway being built in Dubuque.
During the rebuilding of the Julien Dubuque Bridge
The Julien Dubuque Bridge is a bridge over the Mississippi River that connects Dubuque, Iowa and East Dubuque, Illinois. The bridge is part of U.S. Route 20 (US 20). It is one of two automobile bridges over the Mississippi in the area (t ...
, traffic from US 20 was detoured on to this bridge.
In 2003, the deck of the bridge was rebuilt and the bridge cleaned.
See also
* * * *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 ...
References
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dubuque-Wisconsin Bridge Bridges over the Mississippi River Road bridges in Iowa Road bridges in Wisconsin Tied arch bridges in the United States Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System Buildings and structures in Dubuque, Iowa Buildings and structures in Grant County, Wisconsin Bridges completed in 1983 Transportation in Dubuque, Iowa U.S. Route 61 Bridges in Dubuque County, Iowa U.S. Route 51 1983 establishments in Iowa 1983 establishments in Wisconsin Steel bridges in the United States Interstate vehicle bridges in the United States