The Stone Arch Bridge spanning the Mississippi River in Minneapolis has long been recognized as a historic treasure. But even though it’s one of the City’s best-known landmarks, it fades into the dark after sunset… until Oct. 17, 2005. That’s when 12 of the bridge’s 21 arches will be lit, thanks to an 18-month fundraising and planning effort led by the Friends of the Minneapolis Riverfront. Lights mounted under each arch will illuminate the granite and limestone construction and reflect off the water rushing below.
A free public celebration will lead up to the first lighting of the arches. From 6 to 7 p.m. Indie-pop band Desiradi and Savage Aural Hotbed, an industrial percussion group, will perform, followed by brief remarks by Mayor R. T. Rybak and members of the Friends of the Minneapolis Riverfront, including founders Jay Cowles and Charlie Zelle. At 7:15, Mayor Rybak will flip the switch to light the arches. The celebration will be at the west end of the Stone Arch Bridge, near Mill Ruins Park and the Mill City Museum.
The Stone Arch Bridge was built in 1883, and is the only stone arch bridge ever built over the Mississippi River. The Minneapolis Riverfront District has designated 2005 as the “Year of Bridges,” to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the opening of the first permanent bridge across the Mississippi, which was at Hennepin Avenue. Other “Year of Bridges” events are planned at the Mill City Museum in November and December.
Minneapolis has more than 20 bridges across the Mississippi River, more than any other community, and those bridges represent a fascinating variety of engineering types. A Web site has been created that lets visitors explore bridges of yesterday and today. To learn more about the Minneapolis Riverfront District’s bridges, visit www.mrdbridges.com.
October 13, 2005