Kern Bridge

Kern Bridge stays home in Mankato- to be the centerpiece spanning the Blue Earth River between the two largest parks in the city. The story with links and author's comments here: https://bridgehunterschronicles.wordpress.com/2021/01/28/ker...

The winner has been chosen:

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/mankato-minnesota-...

Summary of the bridge up for grabs. Currently two suitors but that may change in the coming weeks: https://bridgehunterschronicles.wordpress.com/2020/08/04/ker...

I am attaching an updated notice for the availability of this bridge which includes some photos of the dismantled bridge as well.

Attachment #1 (application/pdf; 3,444,511 bytes)

July 15, 2020: Notice of Bridge Availability For Reuse

Key facts

• Listed on National Register of Historic Places

• Initial Crossing – Mankato/South Bend Ivywood Lane (Township Road 190) over Le Sueur River

• Type – only bowstring arch in Minnesota; made of wrought iron

• Year built - 1873 (one of Minnesota’s oldest bridges) for a cost of $8,652

• Length - 189 ft.; extant longest bowstring span in the United States

• Use – initially used for horse and buggy traffic; closed to pedestrians and vehicles early 1990s

• Removed the bridge from the failed limestone block abutments, carefully disassembled, catalogued, hauled and placed bridge components in storage containers.

• After removal the structure was carefully marked and disassembled into large pieces for future refurbishing and re-assembly

The bridge has been removed, carefully dismantled, loaded into sealed containers. New owners will be required to provide a 20-percent match toward the rehabilitation and relist the Kern Bridge on the National Register of Historic places following completion of the rehabilitation effort. Federal funds are available to cover 80 percent with a 20 percent state or local match. Preliminary estimates of the total cost are around $1.5 million. All FHWA/MnDOT rules and requirements must be followed.

Requirements: Must rehabilitate to historic standards (Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Projects). All FHWA/MnDOT rules and requirements must be followed.

Qualifications: Cities, counties and state agencies. Cities of less than 5,000 population must have county sponsor. Similar to ATP Transportation Alternatives, letter of intent followed by a formal application needed.

Letters of interest due by August 31, 2020.

For more information:

News Release and Information Packet Attached

Visit Official Listing Webpage: www.dot.state.mn.us/historicbridges/available-bridges.html

Attachment #1 (application/pdf; 269,443 bytes)

Glad to see it being saved.

Personally, I’d love it if they were to fix the abutment and then put it back.

Alternately, if they put it in a populated area where it is viewed and appreciated by many, that would also be wonderful.

I’m not sure who is doing the work but the mention of storage containers is concerning (except for the small stuff). It suggests that they are not experienced in the work. The bridge has been sitting outdoors for a rather long time and the failure issue was the stone substructure, not the iron bridge superstructure.

I am really worried that disassembly is via blowtorch rather than the correct procedure.

Regards,

Art S.

Summary of the bridge move: https://bridgehunterschronicles.wordpress.com/2020/02/07/lon...

Any ideas where the bridge should go, let MnDOT know.

The pick of this bridge has finally taken place and the bridge is now being dismantled for storage.

https://www.keyc.com/2020/02/07/americas-longest-bowstring-a...

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/02/06/cranes-lift-histori...

To be dismantled and stored for reuse. Does anybody have a place where we could relocate the bridge? http://www.mankatofreepress.com/news/local_news/kern-bridge-...

Faced with an uncertain future, this bridgehunter from Minnesota, currently living in Germany, has launched a campaign to find ways to relocate and restore the Kern Bowstring Arch Bridge, the longest bridge of its kind in the US and second longest in the world. Click here, like to follow and join in on the discussions on what to do with the bridge...... https://www.facebook.com/Relocate-and-Restore-the-Historic-K...

Sometimes a backdoor makes a big time difference. ;-)

Expensive pull. No one wants to pay.

We have tried but...

Well hopefully they get going before that East abutment fails completely!

The Kern Bridge is one of the most important historic spans remaining in Minnesota... Perhaps #1

Found a couple of things about possible rehabilitation of this bridge. MNDOT has laid out four options for preservation:

https://www.dot.state.mn.us/historicbridges/bridge/L5669/rat...

A 2017 article states that this bridge is scheduled for repair:

http://www.mankatofreepress.com/news/county-road-hwy-project...

I have been able to find nothing else on these developments.

Just needs funding, either to stabilize or pull. No one seems interested.

Thanks to Nathan for the update. The collapse of this bridge would be one of the worst losses of a bridge since the founding of this website - potentially THE worst.

It probably had the start of a problem for years, but the real serious developments have happened within the past year or two as I understand.

I have never seen this bridge in person. Has the abutment been crumbling for several years or is this a very recent development?

If this bridge is still standing, then it is now the longest historic bowstring span in all of North America. The 225 Foot Blackfriars Bridge in London, Ontario has been so significantly altered that it cannot be called historic anymore. Its basically 99% all-new material now. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/london-ontario-blackfr...

http://www.london.ca/residents/Roads-Transportation/infrastr...

It's a sad sad story. Even when you think you have a lead and some hope, then that hope dies too.

FOLKS, THIS ONE IS JUST WAITING TO COLLAPSE.

The longest bowstring in the US.

Issue: Dollars, always the dollars, probably $250,000 to get it off it's crumbling abutments. We are just waiting for gravity and hydrology to take the span down.

There are no mechanisms at DOTs or SHPO to step in when there is no more time.

It really will take a miracle, or we'll be pulling another one out of the river.

Any and All ideas are welcome.

New Money - Instant Cachet -

RARE RARE RARE - Own a piece of functioning history.

It would be a woefully neglectful loss if this one should collapse

Field visit today: this bridge is on the verge of collapse. Severe erosion is threatening the eastern stone pier. The stones under the southeast bearing shoe are barely hanging on.

A conference call is scheduled for today between many state, federal, local jurisdictions regarding the future of this bridge. I get to participate in the role of funding opportunities, restoration ideas. It looks in pretty good shape from the pictures.

In the interest of the future of historic bridges we are starting another division under NSRGA dedicated to bowstrings. Nathan, you know we will work with all styles, but bowstrings are a first love. Kings or WBCos. I think if we can narrow it down, much like "Covered" we may be able to drive awareness and finances for saving this style, which will certainly then go towards the Warrens, Pratts, Parkers, Baltimores, Ponies that around here we all love. This focus on bowstrings will allow me to work with Sunny Brae on the Gilliece WBCO and continue the in-kind fabrications required for our McIntyre by King.

But it might be easier to take the national market by storm using the longest bowstring in the U.S. as the draw. Any ideas welcome.

October, 2011

October, 2011

October, 2011

October, 2011

Photos of this bridge don't do it justice. One needs to be on the deck of this beautiful structure to appreciate the simple elegance of this design. In it's simplicity, the bridge quickly disappears from one's view and the beauty of the water, trees, wildlife, sky and wind can be fully enjoyed.

This is not a bridge to race across hurriedly in an automobile. This is a bridge for pause and reflection.

It would be a shame to see this bridge reduced to scrap steel if a similar place for quiet meditation could not be found for this quiet, peaceful structure.

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/60704865

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/60807790

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/60807750

My position on MOB bridges is that every time one is erected, a feasible opportunity to relocate and preserve a historic truss bridge has been lost. The reality is that there should not be a single abandoned or demolished historic truss bridge under, say, 200 feet in the entire country. Truss bridges of that size can be relocated and restored anywhere a MOB bridge is placed. Based on the number of MOB bridges I have seen, if each opportunity was taken, we would not have any bridges of these sizes sitting abandoned or in dumpsters.

Link to afforementioned JoCo bridge:

http://bridgehunter.com/ks/johnson/515450460000001/

Interestingly, I have often heard of these MOBs referred to as unique, graceful, beautiful, breathtaking, etc. I don't have a problem with them being installed on a trail, but let's not think they are somehow special. This is not just a phenomenon in Mankato - many of us have seen these things hyped nationwide. In fact, a historic pony truss bridge was recently replaced by a MOB on a hiking trail in Johnson County, KS!

What an epic failure. The perfect place to relocate this bridge only five miles away, and what do they do? They order a MOB instead and then have the audacity to call it a bowstring truss. Why save a nationally significant bridge when you can just order a Walmart bridge instead. What a waste. http://mankatofreepress.com/local/x320356461/Unique-bridge-t...

This bridge has been nominated for the list of bridges that should be saved.

Links about this bridge are available here:

http://www.mankato-freepress.com/local/local_story_137004543...

(This includes a commentary written in 2007 by Jason and Birgit Smith)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kern_Bridge