HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT: BRIDGE DIVISION:
An Inventory of Its Arrowhead Bridge Plans at the Minnesota Historical Society
Government Records
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Minnesota. Bridge Division. | |
| Title: | Arrowhead Bridge Plans. | |
| Dates: | 1926. | |
| Language: | Materials in English. | |
| Abstract: | Bridge plans for the Arrowhead Bridge, including the lift bridge or draw bridge located in the central span of the bridge. | |
| Quantity: | 0.4 cubic feet (2 rolls in 1 partial box) | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description for shelf locations. |
HISTORICAL NOTE
The Arrowhead Bridge connected the twin port cities of Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, and was named after the Arrowhead region of Minnesota. It opened in July 1927 and was built to offer a second harbor crossing at a time when the Interstate Bridge was reaching its capacity due to the advent of the automobile. It opened as a toll bridge, but the tolls were removed in 1963. The Arrowhead Bridge was built mostly as a wooden trestle, with wooden support piers driven into the muddy bottom of the Saint Louis Bay. The trestles started very near water level, and rose up to about 25 feet above water level to align with the central span. That central span consisted of a draw bridge (Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge) with two steel spans that would tip up into the air, allowing room for ships to pass through the opening. The draw bridge was very simple in design, consisting of a truss that held the roadway, a pivot point, and a large weight. A small motor and several gears were enough to open and close the spans. The bridge also had an earthen causeway on the Duluth side, which was also the location of the toll booth. The bridge closed in 1984, and was replaced by the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Minnesota. Bridge Division. Arrowhead Bridge Plans. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 2023-48
Processing Information:
Processed by: Charles Rodgers, July 2023
Catalog ID number: 9989839439804294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| 126.E.1.8 | Arrowhead Bridge drawings, 1926. 1 roll of 20 sheets: | ||||||||||
| Bridge no. 9900. Trunk Highway No. 2 over the St. Louis Bay from Duluth to Superior, Wisconsin. For the Arrowhead Bridge Company; Roland C. Buck, Inc., Engineers. Paper and linen. Torn and in fragile condition. 35" X 24". | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 333-5. Map and profile. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 333-6. Cross sections of Superior approach to Arrowhead Bridge. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 333-7. Cross sections of Duluth approach to Arrowhead Bridge and typical sections of roadway. | |||||||||||
| Sheet Nos. 333-8---10. Piling plans. | |||||||||||
| Sheet Nos. 333-11---19. Details of bents. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 333-20. Plan of piling under concrete bridge pier at Superior side. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 333-20A. Plan of piling under concrete bridge pier at Duluth side. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 333-21. Detail of concrete bridge pier. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 333-22 [?]. Details of toll house and generator house. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 333-22A. List of material required for timber approaches. | |||||||||||
| Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge drawings, 1926. 1 roll of 15 sheets: | |||||||||||
| The lift bridge, or draw bridge, was in the central span of the Arrowhead Bridge over the St. Louis Bay from Duluth to Superior, Wisconsin. For the Arrowhead Bridge Company; designed by the Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company, Chicago, Illinois. Blueprints. Torn and in poor condition. 34" X 23". | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 1187-1. General plan. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 1187-2. Pier tops. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 1187-3. Stress sheet. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 1187-4. Floor details and bracing. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 1187-5-6. Bascule trusses. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 1187-7. Segmental girders. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 1187-8. Section at O and counterweight. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 1187-9. Counterweight supports. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 1187-10. Counterweight bracing. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 1187-11. Anchorage columns and track girders. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 1187-12. Rack support and anchorage girder. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 1187-13. Machinery. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 1187-14. Clearance diagram. | |||||||||||
| Sheet No. 1187-15. Wiring diagram. | |||||||||||
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- Bridges -- Minnesota -- Design and construction.
- Highway engineering -- Minnesota.
- Historic bridges -- Minnesota.
- Organizations:
- Historic American Engineering Record.
- Minnesota. Department of Highways.
- National Register of Historic Places.
- Places:
- Duluth (Minn.)
- Document Types:
- technical drawings.
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