Broadway Bridge (Bridge 4930)
See features of the bridge
History and significance
The Broadway Bridge, built in 1931, carries State Highway 99 (also known as Broadway Avenue) over the Minnesota River between the city of Saint Peter in Nicollet County and Oshawa Township in Le Sueur County. The structure is a steel, riveted, two-span, Pennsylvania through truss with a reinforced concrete pier, approach spans, and abutments. Site conditions dictated that the river pier be skewed and not parallel with the abutments, creating an unusual design challenge. The solution was to design the east and west spans with mirror-opposite configurations, including unequal lengths for the north and south truss spans. Engineers noted that a visually confusing situation would occur over the river pier where the two spans and different truss lengths meet. False members were added between the east and west spans to give the appearance of a continuous-truss superstructure when viewed from the north or south. Ornamental railings, light standards, and Classical Revival detailing of concrete elements reflect the bridge’s gateway location for Saint Peter. With its skewed, through-truss design, the Broadway Bridge is significant for exhibiting exceptional engineering skill to meet unusual site conditions.
Location
City of Saint Peter (Le Sueur County)
Latitude, Longitude:
44.32476900, -93.95313935
Bridge features
Ornamental Classical Revival elements seen in the railing and light standard.
False members added to the trusses to create an overall configuration suggesting a continuous through-truss superstructure.