Wabasha-Nelson Bridge

Infobox_Bridge
bridge_name= Wabasha-Nelson Bridge


caption= View of bridge from downstream on the Minnesota side.
official_name=
also_known_as=
carries= Two lanes of MN 60 and WI 25
crosses= Mississippi River
locale= Wabasha, Minnesota
maint= Minnesota Department of Transportation and Wisconsin Department of Transportation
id= 79000 (Minnesota), B-6-0079 (Wisconsin)
design= Truss bridge
mainspan= 470 feet
length= 2462 feet
width=
clearance=
below= 62 feet
traffic=
open= 1988
closed=
toll=
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coordinates= coord|44|25|09|N|92|01|58|W|region:US_type:landmark
lat=
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The Wabasha-Nelson Bridge bridges is a truss bridge that connects Wabasha, Minnesota with Nelson, Wisconsin. It is an automobile bridge that traverses the Mississippi River.

The bridge has a street setup, with one lane in either direction. It carries Minnesota State Highway 60 and WI 25 in either direction.

The current bridge replaced a bridge built in 1931 that was only 19 feet wide and had two right angles on the Minnesota side. The bridge was constructed in a unique way: the 470-foot truss span was built on falsework on two barges out of the current and the main river channel. When the truss section was completed, engineers floated the span on its barges down the river. The bridge was positioned higher than the supports so it could be brought into place. Once the span was in place, they flooded the barges to bring the bridge into position vertically. This operation took only eight hours to complete.

ee also

*List of crossings of the Upper Mississippi River

References

* cite book
last = Costello
first = Mary Charlotte
authorlink =
coauthors =
year = 2002
title = Climbing the Mississippi River Bridge by Bridge, Volume Two: Minnesota
publisher = Adventure Publications
location = Cambridge, MN
id = ISBN 0-9644518-2-4

Crossings navbox
structure = Bridges
place = Mississippi River
bridge = Wabasha-Nelson Bridge
bridge signs =
upstream = Red Wing Bridge
upstream signs =
downstream = North Channel Bridge
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Main Channel Bridge
downstream signs =