Lowry Avenue Bridge

Infobox_Bridge
bridge_name=Lowry Avenue Bridge

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caption=A view from the west bank of the Mississippi, just south of the bridge, showing four of the five truss spans.
official_name=
crosses=Mississippi River
carries=Two lanes of CSAH 153 (Lowry Avenue North)
locale=Minneapolis, Minnesota
design=Truss bridge
mainspan=143 feet
length=889 feet
width=57.2 feet
below=33 feet
open=1905; remodeled in 1958, 2006
maint=Hennepin County, Minnesota
id=2723(726)
coordinates= coord|45|00|47|N|93|16|28|W|region:US_type:landmark
lat=
long=
clearance=
traffic=
closed=
toll=
map_

---

map_width=300px
map_cue=Bridges over the Mississippi in Minneapolis/St. Paul.
map_text=Lowry Ave. Bridge is the third bridge, in the middle of this image

The Lowry Avenue Bridge is a truss bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is notable in that it has a steel grid deck that drains directly through the mesh, as opposed to the more common concrete deck.

History

The original bridge at this location was built in 1905. This bridge lasted 51 years until it became too weak to carry traffic.

In 1958, five new truss spans were built in this location, using the same piers but raised 20 feet to allow navigation on the upper Mississippi River.

Lead-based paint was removed from the bridge during a 2004 repainting effort and the steel grid deck was replaced in 2003.

On April 25, 2008, Hennepin County, which is responsible for the bridge, closed the bridge due to safety concerns. The bridge is scheduled to be demolished in 2009, and replaced by the end of 2011 [ [http://www.lowryavenuebridge.com/pdf/News-LowryAvenueBridgeClosed.pdf Hennepin County will close Lowry Avenue Bridge] ] if funding is obtained.

tate of current bridge

During the 2004 repainting, engineers discovered that the pier 3 bearings (east side of navigation channel) had displaced roughly 11 inches east of their original location as a result of unexpected movement of that pier (west) towards the main river channel. Hennepin County contracted with Wiss, Janey, Elstner and Associates (WJE) to investigate and report on the cause and extent of damage. The consultant's report concluded that evidence suggested the pier underwent many years, perhaps 50, of creep deflection due to sustained lateral earth pressure at the foundation which was held in check by the bearing assemblies. The bearing assemblies ultimate strength was finally overcome sometime in 2004 which allowed the unrestrained and rapid movement of the pier. The structural engineers at WJE were unable to predict the magnitude of future pier displacements. [LOWRY AVENUE BRIDGE:Investigation of Westward Displacement of Pier 3, 2004 - Wiss, Janey, Elstner and Associates]

The bridge was closed at 10:00 AM on April 25, 2008; construction of a replacement bridge is expected to be finished by 2011.

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

External links

* [http://www.johnweeks.com/bridges/pages/ms22.html Lowry Avenue Bridge by John Weeks]
* [http://www.lowryavenuebridge.com Lowry Avenue Bridge Replacement Project Website]

Crossings navbox
structure = Bridges
place = Mississippi River
bridge = Lowry Avenue Bridge
bridge signs =
upstream = Canadian Pacific Camden Place Rail Bridge
upstream signs =
downstream = Northern Pacific-BNSF Minneapolis Rail Bridge
downstream signs =