The Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge, also known as the Bong Bridge, connects Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, via U.S. Highway 2 (US 2). Opened on October 25, 1984, it is roughly 11,800 feet (3,600 m) long, including about 8,300 feet (2,500 m) over water.[1] It crosses the Saint Louis Bay, which drains into Lake Superior. The bridge rises 120 feet above the river to accommodate maritime traffic in a 400-foot-wide navigation channel.[2] 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[1] 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.
Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge from the Duluth, Minnesota hillside looking southwest toward Superior, Wisconsin and Billings Park | |
| Coordinates | 46°43′53″N 92°08′38″W / 46.73142°N 92.14376°W |
| Carries | Four lanes of  US 2 |
| Crosses | Saint Louis Bay |
| Locale | Duluth, MN and Superior, WI |
| Maintained by | Wisconsin Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Tied-arch bridge |
| Total length | 11,800 ft (3,600 m) |
| History | |
| Designer | Amardo J. Romano |
| Opened | October 25, 1984 |
| Location | |
 | |
History
editThe bridge's namesake, Richard Ira Bong, was a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II 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.[3] The bridge was originally to be named Arrowhead Bridge, after the old wood trestle–bascule bridge it replaced.[4]
Construction on the bridge began in 1979, and it was opened on October 25, 1984.[2]
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, managed the project and designed the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) length of approach bridges. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation designed the channel span (tied arch). Its central suspension section is made of Japanese steel.[5]
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.[6]
Accident
editThe 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.[7]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Bong Bridge facts". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ a b Weeks, John. "Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge". John Weeks. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
- ^ "Obituary for Amardo J. 'Marty' Romano". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
- ^ Andrew Krueger (February 19, 2008). "The late, great, Arrowhead Bridge". News Tribune Attic. Duluth News Tribune.
- ^ "Roads and Bridges named in honor of Veterans and Military". Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012.
- ^ "Wonders of Wisconsin Engineering" (PDF). Newsletter. Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin. April 2008. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2011.
- ^ "MPR: Major accident closes bridge between Duluth and Superior". Minnesota Public Radio. January 27, 2005. Retrieved August 25, 2011.