Tenth Avenue Bridge (Bridge 2796)
See features of the bridge
History and significance
The Tenth Avenue Bridge, historically known as the Cedar Avenue Bridge, is a reinforced-concrete arch bridge completed in 1929. It carries Tenth Avenue across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. The structure consists of 21 spans (seven main river spans and 14 approach spans) with an overall length of about 2,153 feet. The deck surface is approximately 118 feet above the river.
The bridge is significant as a major urban Mississippi River crossing. It is also significant for its association with Norwegian-American engineer Kristoffer Olsen Oustad and as an excellent example of the monumental reinforced-concrete bridges constructed in the Twin Cities to span the high Mississippi River bluffs during the early automobile age.
Rehabilitation activities
Bridge 2796 underwent rehabilitation, including replacement of the deck and reconstruction of the spandrel caps and columns, in 2019-2021. Unsympathetic railings and light standards added during a 1970s renovation were replaced by units more closely reflecting the original design. The upstream sidewalk, which was removed in the 1970s, was reinstalled and bike lanes were added to the deck.
Location
City of Minneapolis (Hennepin County)
Latitude, Longitude:
44.97963176, -93.24373167
Bridge features
Design and construction of seven reinforced-concrete, continuous, open-spandrel, rib-arch main spans with adjoining piers. This feature includes the arch ribs, spandrel columns, and piers with ornamental inset panels.
The horizontal S-curve created by the alignment of the seven main spans.