Highways, Byways, And Bridge Photography |
Sauk Rapids Bridge
Mississippi River Highway Crossing
Sauk Rapids, MN
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• Structure ID: |
NBI 05534 |
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• Location: |
River Mile 929.5 |
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• River Elevation: |
988 Feet |
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• Counties: |
Benton, Stearns |
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• Highway: |
Benton County Highway 3, Stearns County Highway 1 |
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• Daily Traffic Count: |
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• Bridge Type: |
Steel Girder |
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• Bridge Length: |
1,296 Feet, 295 Foot Longest Span |
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• Bridge Width: |
85 Feet, 4 Lanes |
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• Height Above Water: |
60 Feet |
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• Date Built: |
October 25, 2007, Dedicated November 16, 2007 |
The Sauk Rapids Bridge was opened to traffic on October 25, 2007. The
roadways and some trim work remained to be completed prior to the official
ribbon cutting on November 16, 2007.
The new bridge replaces the old Sauk Rapids Bridge, which is an obsolete
deck truss style bridge similar to the I-35W bridge that collapsed. Like
the I-35W bridge, the old Sauk Rapids Bridge was considered to be fracture
critical where a single failure in the bridge could lead to a total failure
of the bridge. That bridge was at the end of its lifespan, and
traffic was overwhelming its capacity given that it had only 2 lanes.
The new bridge has 4 lanes, varying in width from 85 feet to 125 feet,
and 4 spans of widths of 224 feet, 295 feet, 265 feet, and 220 feet.
Signature features of the new bridge include the curved piers, the
curved steel girders, and the multi-level helix for bicycle traffic.
The new bridge fixes an important safety problem with the old bridge in
that it also crosses the very busy high-speed BNSF railroad tracks on the
Benton County side of the bridge.
The new alignment of the bridge was hotly debated. The first issue was
which street to land on. It was eventually decided to land on 2nd Street
on the Benton County side given that 2nd Street was also County Highway 3,
and it had a freeway interchange with US-10. The second issue was how
to cross Benton Ave, which is the main city street through the area.
Locals want to cross Benton and land a bit further east. This would
have eliminated a stoplight intersection and sped up traffic a bit.
Area business operators were afraid that bypassing Benton Ave would
adversely affect the downtown area. It was eventually decided to land
before Benton Ave, allowing easy access from the bridge to the downtown
area.
The Sauk Rapids bridge is located at the base of Sauk Rapids, a spot
on the Mississippi River where the elevation falls rapidly. This area
was once considered to be impassable. Rocks in the river set up
huge standing waves and eddies that would swamp canoes and kayaks.
The US Army Corps Of Engineers removed those rocks in the 1870s. The
area is still a challenge for canoeists, but it is relatively safe
for anyone who has a bit of experience with those boats.
The photo above is a profile view of the Sauk Rapids Bridge as seen from
near the old Sauk Rapids Bridge, located just downstream. The view is from
the north riverbank looking to the west on opening day for the new structure.
These two photos, taken on opening day in October, 2007, show a crossing
heading southbound. The photo above is near the north end of the
structure, while the photo below is near the middle of the river spans.
These two photos, taken on opening day in October, 2007, show a crossing
heading northbound towards the city of Sauk Rapids. The photo above is
near the middle of the river spans, while the photo below is near the
north end of the structure.
The photo above is the southern-most main bridge pier as seen from the
north side of the river on opening day in October, 2007. The photo
below is the same bridge pier prior to the bridge girders being installed
back in March, 2006.
These two views are from March, 2006. The photo above is taken from North
Benton Drive in downtown Sauk Rapids near where the north abutment would be
constructed. The photo below is the south abutment as seen from the
sidewalk on the old Sauk Rapids Bridge.
These photos, from March, 2006, show construction work on the river piers
as seen from the old Sauk Rapids Bridge, located just downstream from the
new bridge.
These two photos are views of the construction work on the north side of the
river in October, 2006. The photo above is an overview of the project. The
concrete spans on the north end of the bridge are well underway, and
the steel girders for the river spans have just been installed. The
photo below is a close view of the helix structure supporting the
bicycle trail connection.
These two photos are views from October, 2006, after the bridge girders have
been erected. The photo above is an overview of the project, while the photo
below is a close view of a span on the north side of the river channel. These
photos were taken from the Old Sauk Rapids Bridge looking to the west.
These two photos are views from the south end of the project looking north
across the Mississippi River. The photo above, from October, 2006, is the
bridge after the steel has been erected, and the first sections of the deck
are being installed. The photo below is the nearly completed bridge in
September, 2007. Crews are working on the bridge approach road.
The photo above is the north abutment of the bridge as seen from the
parking lot located below the structure. The photo below is a view from the
same location looking towards the river. The key feature visible in the
photo is the large helix that supports the bicycle trail connection between
the bridge and the regional trail that runs under the bridge. These two
photos are from September, 2007.
These two photos are views under the new Sauk Rapids Bridge during the final
stages of construction. The view is looking south towards the south bank
of the Mississippi River. The photo above is a view of the entire river
crossing, while the photo below is a close view of one of the main
bridge piers. These two photos are from September, 2007.
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