MnDOT needed to relocate and rehabilitate a rare wrought-iron truss bridge listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Our historians collaborated with engineers to prepare rehabilitation plans adhering to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment for Historic Properties and following a Historic Bridge Management Plan (HBMP) co-authored by Mead & Hunt.
Originally built in the 1870s, the bridge was moved to a highway crossing on the Gateway Trail near Stillwater, Minnesota, for less demanding non-vehicular use. To achieve a successful relocation and retain historic significance, we completed detailed plan review and onsite monitoring during its disassembly, relocation, and reassembly. The project involved refurbishment of the reusable iron members and railings to serve as a trail crossing over Manning Avenue. An innovative aspect of the project was the almost-lost art of hot riveting of truss members on site during bridge reassembly. This project received an honor award from the American Council of Engineering Companies.
