Fort Snelling-Mendota Bridge (Bridge 4190)
See features of the bridge
History and significance
The Fort Snelling-Mendota Bridge carries State Highway 55 across the Minnesota River valley between Mendota Heights in Dakota County and the Fort Snelling area of Hennepin County. Comprised of 13 rib-arch main spans of 304 feet each, it was the longest continuous, concrete arch bridge in the world when built in 1926. It represents the work of two important Minnesota engineers: Walter Hall Wheeler and C.A.P. Turner.
The Mendota Bridge is nationally significant for its superb design and for the fact that at the time of construction it was the longest continuous concrete arch bridge in the world. It is one of the most prominent of the Twin Cities’ nationally renowned concrete arch bridges of the 1920s. The bridge is within Fort Snelling State Park and the Fort Snelling Historic District, which is a National Historic Landmark.
Location
City of Mendota Heights (Dakota County)
Latitude, Longitude:
44.88523975, -93.17377276
Bridge features
Reinforced-concrete rib arches of the longest continuous concrete-arch bridge at the time of construction.
Ornamental railing with decorative metal panels and concrete posts.