Historical Tablet

Early pioneers named Cedar Rapids for the place near here where they could safely cross the Cedar River on a solid rock bottom through the swift shallow rapids of the Red Cedar River before any bridges were built. The first bridge at this site was built in 1885 by the railway co. for double track street railway traffic and for use by horsedrawn vehicles and pedestrians as a six span iron and steel truss bridge with a timber floor. In 1920 the city completely replaced that first bridge with a modern six span arch bridge designed for street railway traffic, with a 60 foot roadway, two 14 foot sidewalks, solid masonry spandrel walls, and balustered stone handrails by Marsh Engineering Co. and built by the Koss Construction Co. at a cost of $420,000.00. The arches and piers of this second bridge still remain, and in 1964 the present bridge, redesigned by Ned L. Ashton, was rebuilt upon those arches as an open spandrel arch bridge with a completely new deck 96 feet wide, an 80 foot roadway between new aluminum handrails, by Cramer & Bayse Co. and the Des Moines Bridge Co. at a cost of $920,000.00.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa · United States