Merriam Street Bridge is a

truss bridge A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements, typically straight, may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...

that spans the east channel of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

between Nicollet Island and the east bank of the river in

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

. The bridge was originally built in 1887 by King Iron Bridge Company as one of the four spans of the Broadway Avenue Bridge. When the Broadway Avenue Bridge was reconstructed in 1987, one span was preserved and moved to Nicollet Island. The truss span is actually decorative; the bridge is supported by a beam from underneath. The original Broadway Avenue Bridge was one of the fanciest bridges on the Mississippi River. It featured finials on each top corner and a band of scrolls, crosses, and lines between them. The horizontal struts and guard railings used X-shapes as a pattern. Each end of the bridge has a hexagonal cast iron plate embossed with the date and the designer of the bridge. The bridge now serves as a connector between parkland on Nicollet Island and the

Saint Anthony Main Saint Anthony Main is a stretch of buildings on Main Street across from Saint Anthony Falls in the Marcy-Holmes and Nicollet Island/East Bank neighborhoods of Minneapolis. The area is part of Southeast, Minneapolis, as it was originally the M ...

development on the east bank, allowing opportunities for visitors to stroll across the river.

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References

* Bridges completed in 1887 Bridges in Minneapolis Bridges over the Mississippi River King Bridge Company Metal bridges in the United States Former road bridges in Minnesota Relocated buildings and structures in Minnesota Truss bridges in the United States 1887 establishments in Minnesota Pedestrian bridges in Minnesota {{Minnesota-bridge-struct-stub