Mississippi River Bridge (La Crosse, Wisconsin)

Mississippi River Bridge La Crosse, Wisconsin
Coordinates	43°48′33″N 91°15′34″W / 43.80917°N 91.25944°WCoordinates: 43°48′33″N 91°15′34″W / 43.80917°N 91.25944°W
Carries	4 lanes of U.S. Route 14/U.S. Route 61/WI 16
Crosses	Mississippi River
Locale	La Crosse, Wisconsin and La Crescent, Minnesota
Other name(s)	Cass Street Bridge and Cameron Avenue Bridge The Big Blue Bridges
Characteristics
Design	Cantilever bridge (Cass Street) Tied arch bridge (Cameron Avenue)
Total length	2,532 feet (772 m) (Cass Street) 2,573 feet (784 m) (Cameron Avenue)
Width	30 feet (9 m) (Cass Street) 50 feet (15 m) (Cameron Avenue)
Longest span	475 feet (145 m) (Cameron Avenue)
Clearance below	67 feet (20 m) (Cass Street) 68 feet (21 m) (Cameron Avenue)
History
Opened	July 1940 (Cass Street) November 17, 2004 (Cameron Avenue)[1]

The Mississippi River Bridge is a combination of two individual bridges which are also known as the Cass Street bridge and the Cameron Avenue bridge, as well as the Big Blue Bridges. They connect downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin to Barron Island, crossing the east channel of the Mississippi River. Another bridge, the La Crosse West Channel Bridge connects Barron Island to La Crescent, Minnesota. The Mississippi River Bridge carries U.S. Routes 14 and 61 with WI 16 and MN 16. There is another bridge about four miles upstream in the area, the I-90 Mississippi River Bridge that connects North La Crosse, French Island, and Dresbach, Minnesota.

Gallery
Wagon bridge, 1891  View from Riverside Park in downtown La Crosse  Big Blue Bridge

See also

• List of crossings of the Upper Mississippi River

References

1. The Mississippi River Bridge, La Crosse, WI

External links

• Mississippi River Bridge Article
• New Mississippi River bridge named "Top Project" - Describing the newer, Cameron Avenue bridge.