Great River Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Great River Bridge |
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| Coordinates | 40°48′43″N 91°05′44″W / 40.81194°N 91.09556°W |
| Carries | 5 lanes of   US 34 (entire span) / Iowa 163 (Iowa side only) |
| Crosses | Mississippi River |
| Locale | Burlington, Iowa and Gulfport, Illinois |
| Maintained by | Iowa Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cable-stayed bridge |
| Total length | 1,245 feet (379 m) |
| Width | 27 feet (8 m) |
| Longest span | 660 feet (201 m) |
| Clearance below | 60 feet (18 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | October 4, 1993 |
The Great River Bridge is a special kind of bridge that crosses the Mississippi River. It connects Burlington, Iowa to Gulfport, Illinois. This bridge is important because it helps people and goods travel safely between these two states using U.S. Route 34. It's known for its unique design, which uses strong cables to hold up the bridge deck.
Contents
Bridge History
Building the Bridge
The construction of the Great River Bridge started in 1989. However, work on the main tower began in April 1990. This tower stands about 370 feet (113 m) tall from the riverbed. Building continued even during the Great Flood of 1993, when the Mississippi River reached very high levels. The bridge cost $49 million to build.
Replacing an Older Bridge
The Great River Bridge replaced an older bridge called the MacArthur Bridge. That bridge was built in 1917 and had only two lanes. It was a cantilevered steel bridge that collected tolls.
By the time the new bridge was planned, the MacArthur Bridge needed many repairs. It would sway noticeably when two large trucks crossed it at the same time. After the old bridge was taken apart, engineers found that its supports were not deep enough in the ground. This made the bridge unstable.
The new Great River Bridge is much safer and wider. It has five lanes: two for traffic going west and three for traffic going east. Its piers, which are the supports that hold up the bridge, are sunk over 90 feet into solid rock. This makes the bridge very strong and stable for everyone crossing the Mississippi River.
Bridge Events
Barge Incident
In the early morning of May 1, 2008, five barges broke free from their moorings. Two of these barges hit the eastern support of the Great River Bridge. This happened on the Henderson County, Illinois side of the river.
The bridge had to be closed so that the Iowa Department of Transportation could check it for damage. A third barge floated further downstream and hit the BNSF Railroad bridge. Luckily, the highway bridge was reopened the very next day after inspections.
Flooding Closure
On June 17, 2008, the Great River Bridge was closed again. This time, it was due to high water levels from flooding.
Great River Bridge Race
Every year, on the second Saturday of May, a special event called the Great River Bridge Race takes place. This race is about 6-mile (9.7 km) long. It starts in Iowa, near the bridge's entrance.
Runners go up a famous street called Snake Alley in Iowa for the first mile. Then, they cross the Great River Bridge into Illinois on U.S. Route 34. The race finishes on Front Street, right in front of the Port of Burlington.
