Mendota Bridge
title: "Mendota Bridge" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["bridges-completed-in-1926", "bridges-in-hennepin-county,-minnesota", "bridges-over-the-minnesota-river", "buildings-and-structures-in-dakota-county,-minnesota", "concrete-bridges-in-minnesota", "great-river-road", "mendota,-minnesota", "national-register-of-historic-places-in-dakota-county,-minnesota", "national-register-of-historic-places-in-hennepin-county,-minnesota", "open-spandrel-deck-arch-bridges-in-the-united-states", "road-bridges-on-the-national-register-of-historic-places-in-minnesota", "transportation-in-dakota-county,-minnesota"] topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mendota_Bridge" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox bridge"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| bridge_name | Mendota Bridge |
| image | Aerial view of Mendota Bridge and historic Fort Snelling 2019-05-26.jpg |
| caption | Aerial view of the Mendota Bridge from the south. |
| crosses | Minnesota River |
| carries | Four lanes of |
| locale | Mendota Heights and Fort Snelling, Minnesota |
| design | 13 arch spans |
| mainspan | 304 ft |
| length | 4,113 ft |
| width | 71 ft |
| below | 100 ft |
| open | , |
| | maint | Minnesota Department of Transportation | | id | 4190 | | coordinates | | | traffic | 39000 vehicles/day | ::
|bridge_name=Mendota Bridge |image=Aerial view of Mendota Bridge and historic Fort Snelling 2019-05-26.jpg |caption=Aerial view of the Mendota Bridge from the south. |official_name= |crosses=Minnesota River |carries=Four lanes of |locale=Mendota Heights and Fort Snelling, Minnesota |design=13 arch spans |mainspan=304 ft |length=4,113 ft |width=71 ft |below=100 ft |open= ,
|maint=Minnesota Department of Transportation |id=4190 |coordinates = |clearance= |traffic=39000 vehicles/day |closed= |toll=
History
The structure was designed by C.A.P. Turner and Walter H. Wheeler. Turner also designed the Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth, Minnesota, and the Liberty Memorial Bridge between Bismarck and Mandan, North Dakota. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/The_Mendota_Bridge_Under_Construction_-A_Pier-DPLA-_6af3e3df4c0aa4e54aa849060168ec6f.jpg" caption="Mendota Bridge construction, 1925"] ::
The bridge is dedicated to the "Gopher Gunners", 151st Field Artillery who died in World War I.
It has a length of 4,113 ft and was the longest continuous concrete arch bridge in the world when it was constructed in 1924–1926. It consists of 13 arches each 304 ft wide. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Between 1940 and 1965, the bridge also carried the concurrent designation of MN 100.
From 1992 to 1994, the old bridge was demolished down to the arches and rebuilt from the arches up with the new wider deck 2 ft higher than the original. Spandrels and railings were also reconstructed.
From 2022 to 2024, a $7 million project on the bridge replaced damaged pavement, the lighting over the bridge, and the railings on the exterior sides of the bridge.
Railings on the bridge were 42 inches tall from 1926 to 1994. The construction project ending in 1994 raised the railing height. The project ending in 2024 reduced the railing height back to 42 inches. The lower height meets AASHTO minimum height standards but does not meet MnDOT's minimum guidelines of 54 inches. Cyclists noticed the lowered railing height and a cycling advocacy organization, the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota, shared concerns about the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists with the lowered railing height. In 2025, MnDOT announced plans to spend $2.5 million to raise the railings to meet their minimum standards of 54 inches.
References
References
- Minnesota Department of Transportation. (June 15, 2006). "Bridge Number 4190: Executive summary". Minnesota Department of Transportation.
- Frame, Robert M.. (April 27, 2006). "Bridge Number 4190". Minnesota Historic Property Records.
- "Historic Sites: Mendota". Dakota County Historical Society.
- (June 2006). "Bridge Number: 4190. Historic Bridge Management Plan". Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) Historic Bridge Management Plan.
- "Hwy 55 Minneapolis to Inver Grove Heights Project - MnDOT". [[MnDOT]].
- (20 November 2024). "Cyclists say new guardrails on historic Twin Cities bridge are dangerously low". www.startribune.com.
- "Highway 55 in Minneapolis and Mendota Heights Project - MnDOT". [[MnDOT]].
- (26 June 2025). "Mendota Bridge guardrails will be raised again following cyclist complaints". www.startribune.com.
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