The Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge, also known as the Bong Bridge, connects

Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

, and

Superior, Wisconsin Superior (; ) is a city in Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 26,751 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the western end of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin, the city l ...

, via U.S. Highway 2 (US 2). Opened on October 25, 1984, it is roughly long, including about over water. It crosses the Saint Louis Bay, which drains into

Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...

. The bridge rises 120 feet above the river to accommodate maritime traffic in a 400-foot-wide navigation channel. The Bong Bridge is one of three bridges connecting Duluth and Superior. A through-arch bridge downstream from the Bong -- the John A. Blatnik Bridge -- carries Interstate 535 (I-535) over the water. The third bridge is the Oliver Bridge, which connects the Gary – New Duluth neighborhood in Duluth, Minnesota with the village of Oliver, Wisconsin. The bridge is 1,889 feet (576 m) long and is principally of steel truss construction. The upper deck carries a single track rail line and a lower deck carries the road connecting Wisconsin Highway 105 to Minnesota State Highway 39.

History

The bridge's namesake, Richard Ira Bong, was a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

who was named the United States' all-time " Ace of Aces". The designer of the bridge was fellow World War II veteran Amardo J. "Marty" Romano. The bridge was originally to be named ''Arrowhead Bridge'', after the old wood trestle–

bascule bridge A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- o ...

it replaced. Construction on the bridge began in 1979, and it was opened on October 25, 1984. Tied arch of Bong Bridge

The bridge was one of the largest public works projects undertaken by the state of Wisconsin. Ayres Associates, an architectural/engineering company based in

Eau Claire, Wisconsin Eau Claire ( ; lit. "clear water") is a city in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, Eau Claire and Chippewa County, Wisconsin, Chippewa counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the county seat, seat of Eau Claire County. It is the List of citie ...

, managed the project and designed the length of approach bridges. The

Wisconsin Department of Transportation The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for planning, building and maintaining the state's highways. It is also responsible for planning transportation in the sta ...

designed the channel span (tied arch). Its central suspension section is made of Japanese steel. In 2007, the Bong Bridge won a Wonders of Wisconsin Engineering Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies, Wisconsin Chapter, which was celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Accident

The bridge was the scene of a 16-vehicle pile-up on January 27, 2005, in which 10 people were hospitalized and a baby was given an emergency delivery but subsequently died.

References

{{Crossings navbox , structure = Crossings , place = Saint Louis River , bridge = Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge , bridge signs = US 2

, upstream = Oliver Bridge , upstream signs = CN Railway logo

, downstream = John A. Blatnik Bridge , downstream signs = Bong Memorial Bridge Bong Memorial Bridge Buildings and structures in Duluth, Minnesota Transportation in Duluth, Minnesota Buildings and structures in Douglas County, Wisconsin

Bong A bong (also known as a water pipe) is a filtration device generally used for smoking cannabis, tobacco, or other herbal substances. In the bong shown in the photo, the smoke flows from the lower port on the left to the upper port on the right ...

U.S. Route 2 Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System Superior, Wisconsin Tied arch bridges in the United States Steel bridges in the United States 1985 establishments in Minnesota 1985 establishments in Wisconsin

History

Accident

See also

References