Our last pic of the week for 2023 happens to fall on the last day of 2023! And with it, we look at one of our candidates in the running for the 2023 Bridgehunter Awards. It has been almost 40 years since the Sartell Truss Bridge last opened to traffic. The bridge features a three-span Camelback through truss bridge with A-frame portal bracings and pinned connections. The bridge was built in 1914 by the Minneapolis Steel and Machinery Company in Minneapolis and was one of the last structures built using pre-1900 truss construction. It was made obsolete by the 1st Avenue Bridge in 1984 and for the last 40 years, had only carried utility pipes across the Mississippi River. It was located next to the Vesper Paper Company, which was torn down completely in 2016.
As part of the redevelopment plan to utilize the property of the former paper company, the city worked together with private actors and restored the structure to its original glory. Away with the pipelines, in its place is a wooden walkway with railings. Instead of security lights to keep trespassers off the bridge is now LED lighting to show its beauty at night and to encourage people to use it. A day and night difference comparing the bridge now to what it looked like when I visited the structure in 2010 (an article about that can be found here).
The Sartell Bridge is one of my favorite bridges and one that despite its length and age, people took the time to give it a makeover that was well overdue. And it was well-received when the bridge reopened this past summer, as you can find in an article by clicking here. Having a restored gem with a history over a century old has a lot of advantages, much more than a boring modern structure that has a lifespan of half of that of the truss bridge. The Sartell Bridge is one of a handful examples left in the state where it was built by a bridge company that once was part of the Minneapolis School of Bridge Building, which featured the Hewett family, Commodore Jones, Alexander Bayne and Lawrence H. Johnson. It is one of only a couple Camelback through truss bridges left in the state, let alone along the Mississippi River northwest of the Twin Cities metro. For Sartell, it’s an icon where after 40 years of being a utility bridge, it has now become a pedestrian bridge where people can cross the mighty river and enjoy the view of Sartell’s cityscape. A win-win scenario for everyone in the region and the state. For them, their bridge matters! 🙂 ❤
To vote on the Sartell Bridge and/or other candidates in the 2023 Bridgehunter Awards, click on the window below. There you will come to the ballot and you can submit your votes in 10 categories. You have three weeks to vote. The winners will be announced on January 21st.
The Bridgehunter’s Chronicles would like to wish you and yours all the best as we leave a turbulent 2023 behind and embrace the New Year in 2024. May it bring you greener pastures, new friends, new bridges to explore and new projects to restore the old ones. If you hit rock bottom this year, remember: it’s all uphill from here. Things can only get better. <3 :-)
See you next year! Your bridge matters! 🙂
Note: Bridge photos courtesy of the City of Sartell.
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