History of Mississippi River Bridges
The Mississippi River has been crossed by numerous bridges since the early 19th century when travelers relied upon ferries to traverse its waters. The first bridge was the Ste. Genevieve Bridge built in the 1820s by the American federal government. Ever since then, the Mississippi River has been used to connect the towns and cities along its route, providing easier access to them. In the late 1800s, the first steel truss bridge was built over the river and several bridges followed. In the years leading up to the 21st century, there were several well-known bridges over the Mississippi River which are still in existence today. These include the Wabash Bridge in St. Louis, the Eads Bridge in St. Louis, the Blackhawk Memorial Bridge in Prairie du Chien, the Crescent City Connection in New Orleans, and the Plaquemines Bridge in Belle Chasse.
Latest Technologies Used for Bridges
In modern times, the technology for building bridges over the Mississippi River has significantly improved. Several bridges have been constructed in recent years by employing the latest technologies such as cable-stayed and extradosed designs. Cable-stayed bridges use a cable-stayed system to support the bridge decks while extradosed bridges use a combination of box girder and arch designs. Other techniques such as pre-stressed concrete, post-tensioned cables and curved steel girders are also utilized.
Number of Bridges Across Mississippi River
There are currently twenty-three bridges that span the Mississippi River. Of these, fifteen are major bridges and eight are minor bridges. The oldest among them is the Eads Bridge in St. Louis, built in 1874. The newest bridge is the I-10 Bridge in Baton Rouge, which was completed in 2014. The bridge with the longest span is the Crystal River Bridge in Wyalusing, Wisconsin, which has a span of 1,990 feet. The bridge with the highest bridge clearance at sixteen feet is located on the Mississippi River at Algiers Point.
Types of Bridges Across Mississippi River
Most of the bridges across the Mississippi River are truss bridges, including the Wabash Bridge, the Eads Bridge and the Blackhawk Memorial Bridge. However, there are also several modern bridges with different designs such as the I-10 Bridge at Baton Rouge, which is a box girder bridge, and the Crescent City Connection in New Orleans, which is an extradosed bridge. The I-55 Bridge in Greenville is a cable-stayed bridge and the Plaquemines Bridge near Belle Chasse is a double-arched truss bridge. The Mississippi River Bridge at Natchez is a through arch bridge.
Benefits of Bridges
Bridges across the Mississippi River offer many economic and cultural advantages. They provide a fast and convenient way to travel between states, promote economic growth, and help to strengthen ties between communities. Bridges have been credited with helping to revitalize the economies of cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans that have suffered a decline in population and industries in recent decades. Bridges also provide a safe way to cross the river, which can be treacherous during floods. In addition, they help to preserve local habitats and ecosystems as they prevent the disruption caused by the construction of dams and other water control measures.
Conclusion
The Mississippi River has long been an important part of American history and culture, and the bridges across it play a vital role in connecting communities. The number of bridges currently crossing the river is an impressive twenty-three, and the most recent bridge, the I-10 Bridge at Baton Rouge, was built using cutting-edge technologies. The bridges provide a variety of benefits, including faster travel between states, economic revitalization for declining cities and towns, and protection of local habitats and ecosystems.
