Kern Bridge, Bowstring arch bridge in Blue Earth County, US
Kern Bridge is a bowstring arch bridge spanning 189 feet (58 meters) across the Le Sueur River with a wrought-iron framework. The structure rests on limestone supports at each end and displays the curved metal truss design typical of 1870s industrial engineering.
The bridge was built in 1873 by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company and served as a vital transportation route for over a century. It was closed to vehicles in 1991 and later dismantled in 2020 to be relocated to a new site.
The bridge represents a significant period in American engineering when builders transitioned from wood and stone construction methods to metal-based architectural solutions.
The bridge sits in a riverside setting and is approachable from adjacent parks, reachable by foot or bicycle. Visitors should expect uneven ground and weather-dependent conditions when viewing the structure in its planned location.
This is the longest surviving example of this specific arch type across the entire United States and the only known structure of its kind in Minnesota. The rare construction method makes it a valuable record of iron bridge engineering from the 1800s.
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