Wabasha–Nelson Bridge

Bridge in Wabasha, Minnesota

44°23′11″N 92°01′56.5″W / 44.38639°N 92.032361°W / 44.38639; -92.032361CarriesTwo lanes of

MN 60 and

WIS 25CrossesMississippi RiverLocaleWabasha, MinnesotaMaintained byMinnesota Department of Transportation ID number79000 (Minnesota), B-6-0079 (Wisconsin)CharacteristicsDesignTruss bridgeTotal length2462 feetLongest span470 feetClearance below62 feetHistoryOpened1988Location Map

The Wabasha–Nelson Bridge is a truss bridge that connects Wabasha, Minnesota with Nelson, Wisconsin, crossing the Mississippi River. The bridge has a street setup, with one lane for motor vehicles in each direction. It carries Minnesota State Highway 60 and WI 25.

The current bridge replaced a bridge built in 1931 that was only 19 feet wide and had two right angles on the Minnesota side. The bridge was constructed in a unique way: the 470-foot truss span was built on falsework on two barges out of the current and the main river channel. When the truss section was completed, engineers floated the span on its barges down the river. The bridge was positioned higher than the supports so it could be brought into place. Once the span was in place, the barges were flooded to bring the bridge into position vertically. This operation took only eight hours to complete.^[1]

Through legislation passed in 2014, the bridge was named "Michael Duane Clickner Memorial Bridge", honoring a Wabasha native killed during the Vietnam War.^[2]

References

^ Costello, Mary Charlotte Aubry (2002). Climbing the Mississippi River bridge by bridge. Volume two : Minnesota (1st ed.). [Davenport, Iowa]: M.C. Costello. ISBN 0964451824. OCLC 56061096.
^ Carlson, Heather J. "Dayton signs bill renaming Wabasha bridge for fallen soldier". PostBulletin.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.