Mark Morris Memorial Bridge

The Mark Morris Memorial Bridge (locally called the North Bridge) is a 2 lane truss bridge across the Mississippi River in the United States. It connects the cities of Clinton, Iowa and Fulton, Illinois. The bridge may also be known as the Lyons-Fulton Bridge, which was the name of a predecessor bridge[1] and the name listed on the USGS topographical map.[3] The town of Lyons, Iowa, was annexed to Clinton in 1895, but the northern end of the city is still referred to as Lyons. The bridge is the terminus of both Iowa Highway 136 and Illinois Route 136. The 1975 bridge was named in memory Mark Morris, a long time member of the City of Clinton Bridge Commission who died in 1972.[4] Morris was instrumental in the construction of the 1975 bridge and the City of Clinton Bridge Commission named it in his honor.[5]

View of the bridge from the river.
Wagon bridge, Fulton, Illinois (1891)
Mark Morris Memorial Bridge
Coordinates41°51′53″N 90°10′23″W
Carries2 lanes of Iowa 136 / IL 136
CrossesMississippi River
LocaleClinton, Iowa and Fulton, Illinois
Official nameMark Morris Memorial Bridge
Other name(s)North Bridge
Lyons-Fulton Bridge[1]
Maintained byIowa Department of Transportation
Characteristics
DesignTruss bridge
Longest span499 feet (152 m)
History
OpenedJanuary 1975
Statistics
Daily traffic9,800[2]
Location

The bridge was opened in January 1975, replacing an older span upstream that once carried the Lincoln Highway, U.S. Route 30.)[6] In 1982, Iowa DOT announced that it would be removing a 20 cent toll from the Gateway Bridge and the Mark Morris bridge beginning January 1983. Iowa and Illinois agreed to split responsibility for the maintenance of the two bridges with Iowa maintaining the Mark Morris bridge and Illinois the Gateway bridge.[7]

1891 bridge

The older span was originally built in 1891 with a wooden deck; this was replaced in 1933 with a metal grate to allow snow to melt through. When the renovation was completed the bridge fathers held a grand ceremony during which a 19-year-old Cedar Rapids high dive artist, Walter W. Simon, dove from the 100-foot (30 m) high span into the Mississippi River. He was paid $1.00 per foot for this stunt.[5]

See also

References
  1. Weeks, John. "Lyons-Fulton Bridge". The Bridges And Structures Of The Mississippi River.
  2. "Bridges: Iowa, Illinois order safety inspections". Quad City Times. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
  3. Clinton (1991). 1:24000 Topographic Quadrangle Map. US Geological Survey, 1992.
  4. "Obituary MORRIS, Mark Nelson 1910-1972". The Clinton Herald via iagenweb.org. January 10, 1972.
  5. "Mark Morris Memorial Bridge". Iowa DOT. Retrieved 15 March 2015. (note that Iowa DOT seems to be combining two persons into one: Mark Benton Morris (1893-1977) of the Iowa State Highway Commission and Mark Nelson Morris (1910-1972), chairman of the Clinton Bridge Commission.
  6. White, Lee F. (19 December 1974). "Bridge Dedicated". The Clinton Herald via iagenweb.org.
  7. "Bridge Tolls to be Discontinued". The Daily Reporter. Spencer, Iowa. August 28, 1982.


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