Great River Bridge: Difference between revisions
GrahamHardy (talk | contribs) m +cat |
Added Barge Strike and Bridge Closure |
||
| Line 34: | Line 34: | ||
[[Image:Burlington, Iowa Riverfront at Night.jpg|thumb|left|A night view of the bridge.]] |
[[Image:Burlington, Iowa Riverfront at Night.jpg|thumb|left|A night view of the bridge.]] |
||
The Great River Bridge replaced the MacArthur Bridge, an aging two-lane toll steel bridge built in [[1917]]. The new bridge is five lanes wide (two westbound, three eastbound) and provides a safer crossing across the Mississippi River than the old bridge. |
The Great River Bridge replaced the MacArthur Bridge, an aging two-lane toll steel bridge built in [[1917]]. The new bridge is five lanes wide (two westbound, three eastbound) and provides a safer crossing across the Mississippi River than the old bridge. |
||
On the evening of Monday, [[April 30]], [[2008]], a barge broke loose and hit the northern most pylon of the bridge on the [[Adams County, Illinois]] side of the river. The bridge was closed while it could be inspected for damage and repairs. After hitting the bridge, the barge also struck the Grand Soleil Casino riverboat, which was still under construction at the time. |
|||
==See also== |
==See also== |
||
| Line 40: | Line 42: | ||
==References== |
==References== |
||
*Fields, Ron. "Bridge spans a decade." ''The Hawk Eye Newspaper'', [http://www.edkraemer.com/news/news_detail.asp?id=115 http://www.edkraemer.com/news/news_detail.asp?id=115] via [http://www.edkraemer.com/index.asp Edward Kraemer & Sons, Inc.] August 22, 2004. Retrieved January 14, 2006. |
*Fields, Ron. "Bridge spans a decade." ''The Hawk Eye Newspaper'', [http://www.edkraemer.com/news/news_detail.asp?id=115 http://www.edkraemer.com/news/news_detail.asp?id=115] via [http://www.edkraemer.com/index.asp Edward Kraemer & Sons, Inc.] August 22, 2004. Retrieved January 14, 2006. |
||
*Koob, Adam. "Barges hit bridge, then casino boat" ''The Natchez Democrat'', [http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2008/apr/29/barges-hit-bridge-then-casino-boat/], Tuesday, April 29, 2008 |
|||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
Revision as of 13:51, 1 May 2008
Great River Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 40°48′43″N 91°05′44″W / 40.81194°N 91.09556°W |
| Carries | 4 lanes of US 34 |
| Crosses | Mississippi River |
| Locale | Burlington, Iowa and Gulf Port, Illinois |
| Maintained by | Iowa Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cable-stayed bridge |
| Total length | 1,245 feet (379 m) |
| Width | 27 feet (8 m) |
| Longest span | 660 feet (201 m) |
| Clearance below | 60 feet (18 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | October 4, 1993 |
| Location | |
 | |
The Great River Bridge is an asymmetrical, one-tower cable-stayed bridge over the Mississippi River. It carries U.S. Highway 34 from Burlington, Iowa to the small town of Gulf Port, Illinois.
Construction began in 1989, but work on the main tower did not begin until April 1990. The main tower is 370 feet (113 meters) in height from the top of the tower to the riverbed. During the Great Flood of 1993, construction continued despite record crests on the Mississippi below. The final cost of the bridge was $49 million, about 16 percent over budget.
The Great River Bridge replaced the MacArthur Bridge, an aging two-lane toll steel bridge built in 1917. The new bridge is five lanes wide (two westbound, three eastbound) and provides a safer crossing across the Mississippi River than the old bridge.
On the evening of Monday, April 30, 2008, a barge broke loose and hit the northern most pylon of the bridge on the Adams County, Illinois side of the river. The bridge was closed while it could be inspected for damage and repairs. After hitting the bridge, the barge also struck the Grand Soleil Casino riverboat, which was still under construction at the time.
See also
References
- Fields, Ron. "Bridge spans a decade." The Hawk Eye Newspaper, http://www.edkraemer.com/news/news_detail.asp?id=115 via Edward Kraemer & Sons, Inc. August 22, 2004. Retrieved January 14, 2006.
- Koob, Adam. "Barges hit bridge, then casino boat" The Natchez Democrat, [1], Tuesday, April 29, 2008
External links
Bridges of the Mississippi River | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
 | This article about a specific bridge in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about a building or structure in Illinois is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about a building or structure in Iowa is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |