Washington Avenue Bridge (Minneapolis)

44.973333333333 - 93.239166666667Koordinaten: 44 ° 58 ' 24 "N, 93 ° 14' 21 " W

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Mississippi River

The Washington Avenue Bridge is a steel girder bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It connects the two parts of the campus - Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota on the western and eastern shores of the Mississippi River.

The bridge is unique due to its two-storey construction, with the lower level is the road and the upper deck for pedestrians and cyclists only. It is a purpose-built with a simple architecture, but which plays a cultural significance because thousands of students, faculty staff and visitors use every day the bridge.

History

An iron truss bridge was first built in 1884; However, it was a little further upstream and connected the parts of Washington Avenue on both sides of the river. At the time of their construction, most residents of Minneapolis lived in the district, which is known as Bohemian Flats today. The bridge was extended in 1890 to accommodate the movement of trams can and the first line from Minneapolis to the neighboring Saint Paul led it. The tram traffic was stopped in 1954 and the fate of the obsolete bridge was sealed after the construction of the current bridge began in 1962. In 1965 the demolition.

This first building was a straight bridge from east to west, which led to the center over the Mississippi River, the Washington Avenue. The new building is aimed at the west end a little further to the south and no longer binds directly to the Washington Avenue, but on a short freeway -like section at the 3rd and 4th street - both streets are one-way streets. The road section between Interstate 35W to the west and University Avenue in the east, which includes the bridge, was originally part of the Minnesota State Highway 122, 1997, the Hennepin County took over the management of the street from the Minnesota Department of Transportation. To enter today on the west bank on Washington Avenue, vehicles must take the first exit to the western bridgehead or turn to the north in the center.

The upper deck of the bridge was originally just a straight surface. The use in the harsh winter was very uncomfortable, so a partial redevelopment of the pedestrian area was added in the 1970s. The original intention was, the interior on heating, due to the energy cost of the transition is not heated substantially. The few located therein heaters warm in the winter the pedestrian area only sparsely, the internal temperature can drop below freezing. At the building, there is also wind deflector for the open area that donate a little shade in the summer by their overhangs.

At least Winston Close, who represented the university in the new building of the bridge team of architects, had the upper deck of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence in mind. This plan, which included shops on the bridge, he would have been realized had the bridge made ​​rather a place to linger instead of the mere crossing of the river. Meanwhile, efforts are being made to make the bridge to a little more welcoming place. Since then, the closed construction of part of the upper level was added, takes place annually after the summer holidays, a competition held in which the various associations at the University Although largely represent themselves.

The exterior design of the bridge building is a mostly olive combination with brown and gray. It is criticized that the building does not fit in the environment of the university, especially after the Frank Gehry-designed Weisman Art Museum was built in the 1980s next to the east end. University President Mark Yudof initiated in 1997 a campaign called "Take Pride in U", the bordeaux to a new painting of the upper level in the colors of the university and led gold. Later, in the early years of the 21st century received in the course of two years, the superstructure repainted. The renovation gave the bridge a pleasing appearance. The long duration of the painting work was caused by that the old paint containing white lead and was therefore carefully removed.

A shadow on the history of the bridge take the various suicides. The poet and university professor John Berryman is the most famous of suicides. In 1972, he plunged into the depths. About half a dozen other people also killed himself by jumping from the bridge. Since different students told to hear footsteps of nonexistent pedestrians behind and is also reported from other such phenomena, the building has earned a reputation that ghosts haunt here.

Future

Probably the building will be replaced in the future or significantly remodeled. There is a plan for public transport, after a new connection to the Central Corridor to Saint Paul to lead here over the Mississippi River. An investigation revealed in June 2007 that the existing design for such a rail is not sustainable enough.

Swell

  • Peter Knight ( 24 February 1999). Water Under a Troubled Bridge. City Pages.
  • Scott F. Anfinson: Archaeology of the Central Minneapolis Riverfront. Volume 1: Historical Overview and archaeological potential ( = The Minnesota Archaeologist Vol 48, No. 1/2, 1989, ZDB - ID 2072781-1. ). Minnesota Archaeological Society, St. Paul MN 1989.
  • Steve Riner Details of Routes 101-149. Unofficial website of the Minnesota Highways.
  • Erin Ghere ( 29 March 1999). Bridge repainting project Causes Concerns traffic. ( Version of 6 May 2003 at the Internet Archive ) The Minnesota Daily.
  • Mary Charlotte Costello: Climbing the Mississippi River Bridge by Bridge. Volume 2: Minnesota. MC Costello, Davenport IA 2002, ISBN 0-9644518-2-4.
  • Road bridge in the United States
  • Pedestrian bridge in the United States
  • Steel Bridge
  • Mississippi bridge
  • Bridge in Minnesota
  • Building in Minneapolis
  • Built in the 1960s
Saint Paul (Minnesota) Hennepin County, Minnesota Dartmouth Bridge
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