Aerial Lift Bridge - Duluth, Minnesota

The Aerial Lift Bridge is one of Duluth's most famous and well known landmarks. The 115 year old vertical lift bridge spans across the Duluth Ship Canal and connects the mainland with Minnesota Point.

The Aerial Lift Ferry in 1908 (Library of Congress)

Overall, the superstructure of the bridge has remained the same from when it opened in 1905. However, the original bridge used a gondola to carry passengers, freight, wagons, and even cars over the canal. Called the Aerial Transfer Bridge or Aerial Ferry Bridge, the gondola like car was suspended over the bridge via cables from the top truss structure. The crossing took about a minute.

Some detail of the decorative iron work on the bridge.

As the popularity of automobiles grew, the gondola ferry system of the bridge grew obsolete. In 1929, a bridge deck was built to carry automobiles and allow pedestrians to cross while the top span was lifted higher in order to allow large ships through the canal. When fully raised, the roadway span of the bridge is lifted 135 feet. The bridge span's length is 390 feet.

The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and has been rehabilitated four times since 1986. The bridge is lifted on average 26 times a day.

Capturing the bridge while in operation is an amazing sight, and I was lucky to witness it in operation around sunrise on an August morning in 2006. The slow and deliberate rise of the main span, followed with the loud blows of ship horns, and the amazing size of a Lake Superior bound freighter is impressive.

All photos taken by post author - August 2006 unless otherwise noted.

Sources & Links:

Aerial Lift Bridge ---John Weeks
Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge ---GoDuluthMn.com
Historic Bridges - Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge ---Minnesota Department of Transportation

Where To Find It:

Comments

Crescent City Connection (New Orleans, LA)

The Crescent City Connection is a massive dual-span steel truss bridge that spans the lower Mississippi River at downtown New Orleans, about 95 river miles upstream from the mouth of the great river at the Head of Passes Light. If counted as a single bi-directional highway bridge, the parallel spans combine to form the single busiest bridge on the Mississippi River and its importance as a linchpin in the region’s transportation network cannot be overstated. While there have been various schemes over the years to construct bridges downriver from Algiers Point, this bridge has been the southernmost bridge on the Mississippi River since its initial construction in the 1950s. The years immediately following the end of World War II were a transformational period in the history of New Orleans. Already one of the great economic and cultural centers of the American Deep South, it was recognized at this time that major changes and improvements to the city’s transportation infrastructure would b...

Old US Route 99 through Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch

This summer I had a look into the alignment history of US Route 99 through the Tulare County communities of Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch. While this slab below might seem like much it is one of the few remaining reminders of how US Route 99 was during the 1920s in Tulare County. This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page. For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page Part 1; the history of US Route 99 in Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch Tipton and Tulare were both founded in 1872 as sidings of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The Southern Pacific Railroad laid the groundwork for development of southern San Joaquin Valley. Previous to the Southern Pacific Railroad travel via wagon or foot in Central California tended to avoid San Joaquin Valley in favor of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road. The Stockton Los Ange...

Former US Route 101 and California State Route 41 through Paso Robles

Paso Robles is a city located on the Salinas River of San Luis Obispo County, California. As originally configured the surface alignments of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 converged in downtown Paso Robles. US Route 101 originally was aligned through Paso Robles via Spring Street. California State Route 41 entered the City of Paso Robles via Union Road and 13th Street where it intersected US Route 101 at Spring Street. US Route 101 and California State Route 41 departed Paso Robles southbound via a multiplex which split near Templeton. Pictured above is the cover of the September/October 1957 California Highways & Public Works which features construction of the Paso Robles Bypass. Pictured below is the 1935 Division of Highways Map of San Luis Obispo County which depicts US Route 101 and California State Route 41 intersecting in downtown Paso Robles. Part 1; the history of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 i...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog