7 days ago
After surviving collapse, fire and Dillinger escape, Dakota County swing bridge begins new chapter
At 130 years old, one Dakota County bridge has been traversed by horse-drawn carriages, a notorious bank robber and firefighters in the nick of time. But its story isn't finished yet.
The Rock Island Swing Bridge, which juts out about 680 feet over the Mississippi River from Inver Grove Heights, will begin its latest chapter on the evening of Tuesday, June 17, as it's lit up with thousands of LEDs.
'Council members, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, residents … everybody wants to stake claim as to whose idea this was,' Adam Lares, parks and recreation director for Inver Grove Heights, said with a chuckle.
The $553,000 project will culminate in nightly light shows that run every quarter hour from 7 to 10 p.m. through the summer, Lares said.
'It's part of our identity,' he said of the bridge. 'We want to preserve the history. That's the key in all this.'
As for the lights, there are 54 interior light fixtures, each containing 256 LEDs. The historic section of the bridge features 30 exterior flood-light fixtures, each containing 500 LEDs, which amounts to 28,824 LEDs across the bridge.
'Each light, down to about a quarter of an inch, can be programmed,' Lares said. He recalled a recent test run with a patriotic theme where the lights were programmed to mimic a waving flag. During events, the light shows will also feature music, he said.
Mike Reis, front office manager of Twin City Marina, located half a mile northwest of the bridge, said he doesn't anticipate the lights will cause any issues for boaters and he hasn't heard any complaints from customers.
'We're all for the lights to make things more visible,' he said, adding, 'The colors are neat; hopefully they can do Vikings colors someday.'
The cost to run the lights, estimated to be about $4,000 annually, will be covered by the Parks Department's operating budget, Lares said, which is consistent with how electrical costs are managed throughout the park system.
Inver Grove Heights isn't the only Dakota County city with an affinity for flare, er, flair. Earlier this year, Eagan re-lit its historic Sperry Tower after a lightning strike in 2023 left it dark.
'The (bridge) once connected across the river and it was vital infrastructure before I-494 came along,' Lares said. 'It gave you the opportunity to cross the Mississippi River. It was our legacy.'
Completed in 1895 and spanning 1,661 feet, the Rock Island Swing Bridge was the largest of its kind in the country at the time.
First used by horse-drawn wagons and trains, the bridge provided a connection between stockyards in South St. Paul and main rail lines across the river.
The bridge's unusual double-decker design would later allow motor vehicles on the lower deck while trains rumbled across on the upper deck, the Pioneer Press reported.
Rock Island Railroad operated it as a toll bridge until 1938, when the Legislature made it free to cross.
As local legend goes, the bridge served as an escape route for Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger. The notorious outlaw crossed it in a stolen car while high-tailing to Chicago after a shootout with Dakota County authorities in the mid-1930s.
In 1980, the railroad went bankrupt and as a result the bridge closed to rail traffic. Nearly two decades later, the bridge closed to vehicle traffic.
In 2008, a 200-foot segment of the eastern stretch of the bridge collapsed into the riverbank and the remaining section was slated for demolition.
Two days before demolition, former Gov. Tim Pawlenty gave the Dakota County side of the bridge a two-year reprieve when he signed the state's bonding bill, which included a moratorium.
'God bless Governor Pawlenty, different party than me, but we both traveled across that bridge as kids,' said Dakota County Commissioner Joe Atkins, who was a state representative at the time and introduced the moratorium. 'We passed that bill and got a respite to figure out the next steps.'
Shortly after, the National Park Service hosted a bridge tour to gauge public interest in reusing the Inver Grove Heights side as a scenic pier. There were long lines all day to get on it, the Pioneer Press reported.
In 2010, tragedy struck again as the bridge caught fire just three weeks out from being restored to a public pier. Firefighters worked for three hours on the pier and in boats to douse the burning creosote-soaked wooden deck stringers. It was concluded that the fire started from welding sparks.
Despite the setbacks, the bridge reopened in 2011 as a public pier, spanning some 680 feet over the river.
'You've got this fixture in the community, over a century old, and it's found a way to remain relevant and popular with individuals and families for 130 years now,' Atkins said. 'This latest feature probably won't be the last. It seems to spur creativity and interest among residents across all ages and generations.'
Northwest of the bridge sits Heritage Village Park, one of the city's latest development projects.
At the park visitors will find an 11-acre off-leash dog park that was once a polluted rail yard.
The dog park, which opened in 2019, cost just under $900,000, a total that includes a parking lot, lighting, fencing, benches, drinking fountains and storm water treatment.
'It's a very popular dog park. It is just off the charts the number of people that use it,' said Atkins, who was elected mayor of Inver Grove Heights in 1992 and held the position for 10 years.
Next steps for the park include the construction of an inclusive playground, splash pad and expanded parking lot, according to city documents.
Last November, Dakota County leaders celebrated construction of the first phase of the new Veterans Memorial Greenway, a three-part project that eventually will connect Lebanon Hills Regional Park and the Mississippi River Greenway with five miles of trails interspersed with memorials for military veterans and their families.
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The first phase is the central section of the greenway, running for two miles between Alameda Path and Rich Valley Park in Inver Grove Heights.
The Mississippi River Greenway, which runs for 28 miles along the river connecting St. Paul to Hastings, also includes a trailhead at the Rock Island Swing Bridge that opened in 2015.
'In my opinion, the swing bridge rivals the bison for the top spots people want to stop and enjoy along the Mississippi Greenway,' Atkins said, referring to the herd of American Plains bison that graze at Spring Lake Park Reserve northwest of Hastings.
The bison, who were reintroduced to the prairie in 2022, are part of a plan to naturalize the park's landscape by restoring the oak savanna and prairie landscape of the past.
'We are trying to build connectivity back to that river,' Lares said of the lighting project. 'We're trying to make sure that we don't forget our history and pay homage to that bridge and the natural beauty around it.'
When: 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, June 17
Where: 4465 E. 66th St., Inver Grove Heights
Details:
Cost: Free
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