Mormon Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mormon Bridge |
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Mormon Bridge in August 2022 as seen from North Omaha, Nebraska going into Iowa.
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| Coordinates | 41°20′44″N 95°57′26″W / 41.345556°N 95.957222°W |
| Carries | 4 lanes of  I-680 |
| Crosses | Missouri River |
| Locale | Pottawattamie County, Iowa and Florence, Nebraska |
| Other name(s) | Missouri River I-680 Bridge |
| Maintained by | Nebraska Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Twin Cantilever Through truss bridge |
| Total length | 1,603.1 feet (489 m) |
| Longest span | 128 m |
| Clearance above | 18.1 feet (6 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1952 (eastbound) 1975 (westbound) |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 7,845 |
The Mormon Bridge is a big bridge that crosses the Missouri River. It connects Pottawattamie County, Iowa with the Florence area of Omaha, Nebraska. This bridge is part of Interstate 680 (Iowa-Nebraska).
The bridge is actually made of two separate bridges. Each one uses a special design called a cantilever. Its official name is the Mormon Pioneer Memorial Bridge. This name honors the historic Mormon Trail that passed nearby.
Contents
Building the Mormon Bridge
People have wanted a bridge at this spot for a very long time. The area was known to have a strong, rocky riverbed. This made it a good place to build.
Early Attempts to Cross the River
The first way to cross the Missouri River here was by ferry. A ferry is a boat that carries people and wagons across water. In 1846, a group called the Mormons used a ferry as part of their journey on the Mormon Trail.
Over the next few years, ferries were used on and off. The first idea for a bridge came in 1856. A company tried to build it but ran out of money. Later, in 1885, construction actually started on a railroad bridge. But that project was also stopped.
New Laws Make a Bridge Possible
More attempts to build a bridge happened in 1922 and 1936. But it was hard to get permission. Back then, you needed special approval from the United States Congress to build over a "navigable waterway." This means a river big enough for boats.
Things changed in 1946 when a new law was passed. This law made it easier for states to build bridges over rivers. Because of this, the state of Nebraska created a group called the North Omaha Bridge Commission. This group helped make the dream of a permanent bridge come true.
The First Bridge Opens
The first Mormon Bridge was officially opened on June 1, 1953. Construction had started in May 1951. This bridge connected Nebraska Highway 36 with Iowa Highway 988.
At first, it was a toll bridge. This meant drivers had to pay a small fee to cross. The money collected from tolls helped pay back the loans used to build the bridge.
A Second Bridge and Modern Updates
A second bridge was added next to the original one in 1975. This made the crossing much wider. After the second bridge opened, the tolls were removed. The Mormon Bridge then became part of the Interstate Highway System.
In 2018, the original bridge got a big upgrade. Workers cleaned off old paint and fixed parts of the bridge deck. They also put down a new driving surface. This project cost about $11 million.
See also
- List of crossings of the Missouri River
- History of North Omaha, Nebraska
- Timeline of North Omaha, Nebraska history
- List of Omaha landmarks
