Red Wing Bridge, Minnesota

 

Red Wing Bridge
Spans Mississippi River
Lanes 1×2
Total length 501 meters
Main span 132 meters
Bridge deck height 20 meters
Opening 11-1960 / 21-11-2019
Traffic intensity 13,300 mvt/day
Location Map

According to Ablogtophone, the Red Wing Bridge, also known as the Eisenhower Bridge is a box girder bridge in the United States, located on the border of the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. The bridge spans the Mississippi River at Red Wing.

Characteristics

The Red Wing Bridge is a steel girder bridge with a total length of 501 meters and a box bridge with a main span of 132 meters. The bridge has 7 spans and a 16 meter wide bridge deck that is a maximum of 20 meters above the Mississippi River. Over the bridge, US 63 runs from Red Wing, Minnesota to Hager City, Wisconsin. The bridge is of regional importance and toll-free.

History

The bridge was built between 1958 and 1960 and opened to traffic in November 1960. The original Red Wing Bridge was a steel cantilever truss bridge with a total length of 497 meters and a main span of 132 meters. The bridge had a 9 meter wide bridge deck that was a maximum of 20 meters above the Mississippi River.

Replacement in 2019

The original Red Wing Bridge had the same truss structure as the 2007 collapsed I-35W Mississippi River Bridge in Minneapolis. The bridge was what is called “fracture critical”, meaning that if one of the supports broke, the entire bridge would collapse. It has been investigated whether the bridge needs to be renovated or replaced. The preference was for a replacement with a steel girder bridge at the same location, with two lanes. Construction of the new bridge began on May 5, 2017. The new bridge opened to traffic on November 21, 2019, although the project took well into 2020 to complete. The project cost $63 million.

Traffic intensities

Every day, 13,300 vehicles cross the bridge, which is used fairly intensively.

MnPASS

MnPASS (pronounced: Minn-pass ) is the electronic toll system ( ETC ) in the US state of Minnesota.

System

There are no general toll roads in Minnesota, but there are express lanes for which a toll has to be paid, which can only be done with the MnPASS. These express lanes are located in and around Minneapolis.

The MnPASS is a traditional transponder, ie a device (‘box’) that is attached to the windscreen.

The system is currently not compatible with other toll systems. Neighboring states do not have toll roads.

History

The MnPASS was introduced in 2005 for the conversion of the HOV lanes on Interstate 394 to HOT lanes, whereby solo motorists can also use the car pool lane for a toll charge. The system was expanded to Interstate 35W in 2009 and to Interstate 35E in 2015.

MOM’s Way

MOM’s Way is a series of major highways in Canada and the United States. MOM stands for the provinces and states through which the route passes; Manitoba, Ontario and Minnesota. It is an alternate route between Winnipeg and Thunder Bay that runs further south than the Trans-Canada Highway. The route is 660 kilometers long.

Travel directions

Manitoba

MOM’s Way officially begins at the cloverleaf between Highway 1 and Highway 12 at Ste. Anne, about 35 miles east of Winnipeg. The MOM’s Way from here follows Highway 12 south, later southeast, via Steinbach to the United States border at Sprague. The western part of the route leads over the prairies, the eastern part through the Sandilands Provincial Forest.

Minnesota

In Minnesota, MOM’s Way follows State Route 313 for a little while to Warroad, 10 miles south of the Canadian border, then follows State Route 11 east to the Canada border at Baudette. The road leads through the prairies of northern Minnesota, south of the large Lake of the Woods.

Ontario

In the province of Ontario, MOM’s Way follows Highway 11, via Fort Frances. The part west of Fort Frances runs a short distance from the American border, the area here is still somewhat cultivated. To the east, Highway 11 leads through wilderness, over the Canadian Shield, a soil with many rocks, forests and lakes. The easternmost 60 kilometers is double -numbered with Highway 17.

History

MOM’s Way is 2 kilometers shorter than the Trans-Canada Highway which runs north through Kenora and Dryden. A more significant difference is that MOM’s Way runs longer through a cultivated area, the Trans-Canada runs great distances through remote wilderness. Until the mid-1950s, MOM’s Way was significantly shorter than the Trans-Canada Highway, because the Trans-Canada was not built on the current route east of Winnipeg until after the mid-1950s. MOM’s Way was 25 kilometers shorter at the time, but the new route of Highway 1 east of Winnipeg reduced the difference to just 2 kilometers. Nowadays it is mainly an alternative for tourists.

Red Wing Bridge, Minnesota

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