History
The Northern Pacific Railway "A line" tracks once formed the southern boundary of the University of Minnesota East Bank campus. but as the University grew, the campus expanded southward around the railroad. The railroad noise, congestion, and pollution caused problems around the campus. In response, the Northern Pacific Railway built a new bridge that angled north of the campus, connecting with an existing railroad line going through Dinkytown. This enabled campus expansion and allowed the Northrop Mall to be built.
Today, the bridge is open to bicyclists and pedestrians. The bridge is accessible from the west side, where there is a connection to the West River Parkway trail, and on the east side via a service road up to East River Parkway near the Mineral Resources Research Center. Historic markers on either side of the bridge describe how the bridge was built and its importance to the area.
The City of Minneapolis plans to connect the bridge to the proposed U of M bicycle and pedestrian trail through Dinkytown in 2011. As part of the construction of the new St. Anthony Falls (35W) Bridge approach, a culvert has been installed that will allow the non-motorized trail to continue west into downtown Minneapolis.
On the south side of the deck, the words "North Coast Lim" can be seen. It formerly read North Coast Limited to advertise the Chicago to Seattle passenger train of that name.
Read more about this topic: Northern Pacific Bridge Number 9
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“The one duty we owe to history is to rewrite it.”
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)
“A poet’s object is not to tell what actually happened but what could or would happen either probably or inevitably.... For this reason poetry is something more scientific and serious than history, because poetry tends to give general truths while history gives particular facts.”
—Aristotle (384–323 B.C.)
“Three million of such stones would be needed before the work was done. Three million stones of an average weight of 5,000 pounds, every stone cut precisely to fit into its destined place in the great pyramid. From the quarries they pulled the stones across the desert to the banks of the Nile. Never in the history of the world had so great a task been performed. Their faith gave them strength, and their joy gave them song.”
—William Faulkner (1897–1962)