Four Bears Bridge is one of two bridges built over the

Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...

on the

Fort Berthold Reservation The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation is a U.S. Indian reservation in western North Dakota that is home for the federally recognized Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes. The reservation includes lands on ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

. It carries

North Dakota Highway 23 North Dakota Highway 23 (ND 23) is a east–west highway in northwestern North Dakota. ND 23's eastern terminus is at North Dakota Highway 41, ND 41 near Velva, North Dakota, Velva, and its western terminus at U.S. Route 85 in North Dakota, ...

. The current bridge which opened in 2005 is the second largest bridge in the state and replaced an earlier bridge built in 1934. The 1934 bridge was moved in 1955 following the construction of the Garrison Dam and the creation of Lake Sakakawea. One worker was killed and three were injured when a portion of the new bridge collapsed during construction on November 30, 2004. The current bridge is decorated with medallions reflecting the heritage of the

Three Affiliated Tribes The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation), also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan: ''Miiti Naamni''; Hidatsa: ''Awadi Aguraawi''; Arikara: ''ačitaanu' táWIt''), is a federally recognized Native American Nation resulting fr ...

, the

Mandan The Mandan () are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains who have lived for centuries primarily in what is now North Dakota. They are enrolled in the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation. About half of the Mandan still ...

Arikara The Arikara ( ), also known as Sahnish,
''Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation.'' (Retrieved Sep 29, 2011) ...

and

Hidatsa The Hidatsa ( ) are a Siouan people. They are enrolled in the federally recognized Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. Their language is related to that of the Crow, and they are sometimes considered a pa ...

who inhabit the reservation. The bridge is named for two chiefs, one Mandan and one Hidatsa and both named Four Bears. The bridge opened to traffic on September 2, 2005, at around 10:00 a.m. local tim

An official opening ceremony was held on October 3, 2005. File:The old bridge seen from Crow Flies High view point.jpg, The old bridge from the Four Bears Village side

References

Road bridges in North Dakota Bridges completed in 1955 Bridges completed in 2005 Bridge disasters caused by construction error Bridge disasters in the United States Transportation disasters in North Dakota 2005 establishments in North Dakota Construction accidents in the United States 1955 establishments in North Dakota Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation {{NorthDakota-bridge-struct-stub