US65 (Oak Street) Bridge over the Iowa RiverIowa Falls
The US65 (Oak Street) bridge is one of a trio of open spandrel concrete arch bridges located within a stretch of the Iowa River as it meanders its way through the middle of scenic Iowa Falls. Built in 1928 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the existing bridge has served its purpose for over 80 years, but has recently been showing its age and is in need of replacement.
The Iowa DOT sought input from the community during the planning stages of project development. The result was a local preference for the concrete arch bridge to be replaced with another arch structure, thus keeping the river free of supporting piers and maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the arch bridge theme prevalent at the two other nearby river crossings in town. An above-deck, steel through-arch bridge type was chosen as the final concept. The new bridge will feature a 42-foot roadway, a sidewalk and a bicycle trail. Design is currently underway, with construction of the new bridge expected to begin in late 2010.
The images shown of the replacement concept are for illustration only, as the final configuration may be different once the design process is complete.