Oct. 20, 2004

For more information contact:
Ahmad Abu-Hawash
515-239-1393

Julien Dubuque Bridge named one of the century’s best in architecture

AMES, Iowa – The Julien Dubuque Bridge, connecting Iowa and Illinois on U.S. 20 in Dubuque, has been a landmark since its construction in the early 1940s. On Oct. 14, the American Institute of Architects, Iowa Chapter, named this spectacular historic structure to the “Iowa Architecture of the Century, Top 50 List.”  The bridge was selected by a jury of five accomplished Iowans and from among more than 300 nominated structures.  It is the only bridge to make the list.

A display of the Top 50 structures will be touring the state through April 2006. It is currently at the State Historical Museum, where it will be on display until the end of December. A book has been produced to highlight each winner and Iowa Public Television will air a documentary produced about these awards during its fundraising efforts in December 2004 and March 2005.

The Julien Dubuque Bridge has carried vehicular traffic since it opened in 1943, and was a toll bridge until 1954. By the early 1990s, the bridge was beginning to deteriorate. Major renovations in the 1990s included a new deck, guardrail and replacement of some of the approach spans on the Iowa side. It now carries approximately 26,500 vehicles per day across the Mississippi River.

The bridge’s overall length is 5,760 feet. According to an American Society of Civil Engineer’s publication, the bridge set a record for continuous truss main-span length at 845 feet --- the second longest over the Mississippi River at the time of construction, fourth longest in the U.S., and eighth longest in the world.

The bridge deck carries two 12-foot traffic lanes and a single 5-foot sidewalk, and is situated some 50 feet above the high-water mark. To reach this height from the river level, connecting highways require extensive steel girder viaducts on both sides. The immense superstructure of the main spans used 3,850,100 pounds of silicon steel and 4,583,975 pounds of carbon steel. Some 6,410,492 pounds of structural steel were used in the girder spans.

The substructure required 34,087 cubic yards of concrete, 2,463,500 pounds of reinforcing steel and 2,909 timber piles. The aggregate cost of the structure was reported at $3,175,341.63.

The Julien Dubuque Bridge is under the joint jurisdiction of the states of Iowa and Illinois; however, the Iowa Department of Transportation serves as the lead agency responsible for its maintenance.  For additional information about the Julien Dubuque Bridge or the parallel structure currently under development, contact: Ahmad Abu-Hawash with the Iowa DOT’s Office of Bridges and Structures at 515-239-1393 or ahmad.abu-hawash@dot.iowa.gov.

For more details on the Century of Architecture designation, log on to: www.aiaiowa.org. 

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