Historical Tablet- 1st Ave Bridge Cedar Rapids Iowa
The city of Cedar Rapids was named by the pioneers as the place where they could safely cross the Cedar River on a solid rock bottom through the swift shallow waters of the Red Cedar River near here before any of the bridges were built.
It was first bridged at this site in 1885 for us by horsedrawn vehicles and pedestrians as a six span oron and steel truss bridge with a timber floor that was built by the railway co. for double track street railway traffic.
In 1920 the first bridge was completly replaced by the city with a modern six span arch bridge that was designed for street railway traffic with a 60 foot roadway. Two 14 foot sidewalks, solod masonry spandrel walls and balustered stone handrails by Marsh Engineering Company and built by the Koss Construction Co. for a cost of $420,000.00
The arches and piers of this second bridge still remain and the present bridge as redesigned by Ned L. Ashton was rebuilt upon the arches of the second bridge as an open spandrel arch bridge with a completely new deck 96 feet wide with an 80 foot roadway between new aluminum handrails by Dramer & Bayse Co and the Des Moines Bridge Co in 1964 at a cost of $920,000.00