The Liberty Memorial Bridge was the first vehicular bridge to connect Bismarck and Mandan across the Missouri River when it was dedicated in September 1922. It became part of U.S. Highway 10 when it was dedicated soon after. The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. The bridge was replaced in 2008 by the New Liberty Memorial Bridge, and was demolished shortly after.
For years, the Liberty Memorial Bridge was the only vehicular bridge to cross the Missouri River between Great Falls, Montana and Sioux City, Iowa – a distance of 500 miles. Prior to its construction, vehicles had to be ferried across the river. The Liberty Memorial Bridge sparked a major increase in traffic to the area, and by 1924, the bridge already had more than 2,000 vehicles per day.
The Liberty Memorial Bridge remained the region’s only vehicular bridge to cross the Missouri River until the completion of the Grant Marsh Bridge in 1965, and therefore many thriving businesses sprouted nearby, including the nationally renowned Bismarck Holiday Inn, which was constructed in 1962. Other businesses that had once operated near the bridge included a gas station and A&W Rootbeer. Some of the present-day businesses located near Liberty Memorial include Corwin-Churchill Motors and the new Bank of North Dakota.
New Liberty Memorial Bridge, opened in 2008.
The bridge closed to traffic in August 2008. On October 6, the first span of the bridge was imploded. The remaining two sections came down on October 29.
External Link:
www.memorialbridge.info
