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Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
Portion of Rock Island Bridge Collapses
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The eastern section of the old Rock Island Bridge between St. Paul Park and Inver Grove Heights collapsed on November 21, and was closed to the public on Monday. The eastern section is not the portion of the bridge proposed as a trailhead over the Mississippi River.
The double-decker structure, which was built in 1895, has been closed to trains since 1980 and vehicle traffic since 1999. Before the collapse, the eastern approach in St. Paul Park had been blocked off because of security precautions. The eastern section of the bridge is scheduled for demolition, as is the swing span in the river.
On the west side of the bridge the approach could be demolished or repaired and used as a trailhead to get visitors out to experience the river in an otherwise inaccessible area. Later last month the National Park Service provided a public tour where nearly a thousand people visited the west approach of the bridge. Many expressed support for repairing and reusing the structure.
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Did You Know?
At Lake Itasca, the river is so shallow, children can walk across the Mississippi. Between Governor Nicholls Wharf and Algiers Point in New Orleans, the Mississippi is more than 200 feet deep.
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Last Updated: November 26, 2008 at 12:33 EST |