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High Bridge (St. Paul)
Encyclopedia
The High Bridge is a bridge that carries Minnesota State Highway 149
over the Mississippi River
in St. Paul, Minnesota. The bridge is a two-lane street setup over the river. The original bridge, built in 1895, was damaged by a storm in 1904. The southernmost five spans were rebuilt. Due to deterioration over the years, the old bridge was demolished in 1985. A new bridge was built and opened in 1987 at a cost of $20 million. The ornamental ironwork on the new bridge was built using iron from the old bridge.
The High Bridge has a height of 160 feet, making it the highest bridge in St. Paul.
In February 2008, City Pages
, a weekly publication in the Twin Cities, published a feature about the long history of suicide at the bridge. The article included testimony of a survivor who leapt from the bridge.
The original High Bridge (1895–1985), as both the old and new bridges are officially named, was of black wrought iron construction and had a rather narrow two lane road bed. This was because it was origially built for horse and buggies. Two large cars going in opposite directions came quite close to each other. There were also walkways, about five feet wide, on both sides of the roadway. They were made of wooden planks with spaces between them of perhaps a half inch. It was a rather scary walkway, because as you walked you could see between the planks to the ground or water 150 feet below. Additionally, if a truck went by, the bridge would shake. Between the walkway and the roadway on both sides of the bridge there were barriers about two feet high. They consisted of a steel cable supported by posts every ten feet or so. The old bridge (as does the new bridge) sloped slightly upward in the south direction. This made it a little difficult when riding a bicycle in that direction, but was an asset when traveling north where you could gain considerable speed. The bicycle tires made considerable noise as they hit the edge of each plank and also continuously jolted the rider. The railings on both sides were made of ornate wrought irom and were about four feet high. You could see through them because of their ornate design. This allowed you to be able to see in both the left and right directions when traversing the bridge in a vehicle. (Due to a different design, the new bridge does not allow this). Beneath both bridges the Mississippi River occupies only about one fourth of the area. The rest is open land plus roads and railroad tracks. In 1985 the section of the bridge over the river (the south end) was dropped using 85 pounds of explosives. The remainder was dismantled using cranes. The new bridge was built of concrete and just east of and very close to the old bridge.
Minnesota State Highway 149
Minnesota State Highway 149 is a highway in Minnesota that runs from its intersection with State Highway 3 in Inver Grove Heights to its northern terminus at its intersection with State Highway 5 in Saint Paul. The route is in length....
over the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
in St. Paul, Minnesota. The bridge is a two-lane street setup over the river. The original bridge, built in 1895, was damaged by a storm in 1904. The southernmost five spans were rebuilt. Due to deterioration over the years, the old bridge was demolished in 1985. A new bridge was built and opened in 1987 at a cost of $20 million. The ornamental ironwork on the new bridge was built using iron from the old bridge.
The High Bridge has a height of 160 feet, making it the highest bridge in St. Paul.
In February 2008, City Pages
City Pages
City Pages is an alternative weekly newspaper serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It features news, film, theatre and restaurant reviews, and music criticism. It is printed in a tabloid format, and is available free every Wednesday...
, a weekly publication in the Twin Cities, published a feature about the long history of suicide at the bridge. The article included testimony of a survivor who leapt from the bridge.
See also
The original High Bridge (1895–1985), as both the old and new bridges are officially named, was of black wrought iron construction and had a rather narrow two lane road bed. This was because it was origially built for horse and buggies. Two large cars going in opposite directions came quite close to each other. There were also walkways, about five feet wide, on both sides of the roadway. They were made of wooden planks with spaces between them of perhaps a half inch. It was a rather scary walkway, because as you walked you could see between the planks to the ground or water 150 feet below. Additionally, if a truck went by, the bridge would shake. Between the walkway and the roadway on both sides of the bridge there were barriers about two feet high. They consisted of a steel cable supported by posts every ten feet or so. The old bridge (as does the new bridge) sloped slightly upward in the south direction. This made it a little difficult when riding a bicycle in that direction, but was an asset when traveling north where you could gain considerable speed. The bicycle tires made considerable noise as they hit the edge of each plank and also continuously jolted the rider. The railings on both sides were made of ornate wrought irom and were about four feet high. You could see through them because of their ornate design. This allowed you to be able to see in both the left and right directions when traversing the bridge in a vehicle. (Due to a different design, the new bridge does not allow this). Beneath both bridges the Mississippi River occupies only about one fourth of the area. The rest is open land plus roads and railroad tracks. In 1985 the section of the bridge over the river (the south end) was dropped using 85 pounds of explosives. The remainder was dismantled using cranes. The new bridge was built of concrete and just east of and very close to the old bridge.