(
Archived Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges;
HAER;
Satellite, 70 photos)
"Built 1898; closed to traffic in 1993; rehabilitated 1998 and 2016 for pedestrian usage" This 401' (122m) long bridge has a longest span of 135' (41m). [BridgeHunter]
 |
HAER IOWA,77-DESMO,27--9 (CT)
3/4 VIEW FROM NORTHWEST - Southwest Fifth Street Bridge, Spanning Raccoon River at Southwest Fifth (Jackson) Street, Des Moines, Polk County, IA |
"Significance: The Southwest Fifth Street Bridge ranks
among Iowa's most significant vehicular
spans. It is one of Iowa's few
remaining pinned Pratt through trusses
with three or more spans. As one of
only three pinned through trusses
located in an urban setting, the
Southwest Fifth Street Bridge is
exceptionally important in its
representation of early urban wagon
bridge construction. The controversies
which surrounded the construction of the
bridge also illuminate patterns of
development in Des Moines and the nature
of bridge contracting at the turn of the
century." [
HAER_data]
 |
Bob Dover posted
On the southern fringe of downtown Des Moines, Iowa, crossing the Raccoon River, is the Fifth Avenue Bridge, also called the Jackson Street Bridge, and more widely known in Des Moines as the Green Bridge. The Green Bridge was constructed in 1898 as a roadway bridge leading to southern suburbs of the city. The bridge was abandoned in the 1990s, rehabilitated, and then reopened as a pedestrian and bicycle-only bridge in 2016, becoming the fourth pedestrian bridge connecting trails in downtown Des Moines. Consistent with its name, the bridge is freshly painted dark green, with a black steel railing and wooden deck. Des Moines is located at the confluence of two rivers, so the presence of bridges is not unexpected. However, the creative manner in which they have re-purposed multiple older bridges into pedestrian bridges, constructed now pedestrian bridges, and then added brilliantly-colored lighting at night, is a pleasant surprise. |
This confirms that it is a pin-connected truss bridge. (I found photos before I found the HAER document.)
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