The Lower Glen is the area downstream of the Minnehaha Falls where the Minnehaha Creek tumbles its final 58 feet down to the Mississippi River. The glen is an old Mississippi River channel that was abandoned, and later filled in to cover the rocks and cliffs. There are four footbridges that cross the glen, plus a fifth that crosses the creek in the gorge below the falls.

This bridge is the second footbridge when heading upstream from the confluence of the creek with the river. Bridge #2 is nearly identical to bridge #3, located just a bit upstream, with both being built in 1939 and rebuilt in 1994. While bridge #3 has been recently refurbished, bridge #2 looks like it is in need of some repairs, including replacing a few missing stones and having the mortar tuckpointed. There was a construction project in progress when I first visited this bridge in 2009. Construction fabric installed as part of a shore stabilization project is visible in the photos below. I suspect that repairs to this bridge will be made after the project picks up again in the summer of 2010.

The photo above is looking upstream towards the south face of bridge #2. Minnehaha and Hiawatha Avenues are located at the top of the hill in the background. The photo below is a view of the north face of the bridge as seen from the west bank of the creek.

The photo above is looking east down the length of bridge #2. The Old Soldiers Home is located on the top of the hill in the background. The photo below is a similar view looking east along the downstream face of the structure.