The bridge connects to the I-90/US 14/US 61 interchange, and provides access to the Dresbach Rest Area/MN Welcome Center and boat launches from westbound I-90. The westbound I-90 to southbound US 14/US 61 interchange has a fly-under ramp allowing continuous movement with no competing traffic.
History
The previous bridge was a plate girder bridge completed in 1967; the steel structure was painted dark green, and the bridge had a concrete railing. Although the previous bridge had no weight restrictions and operated at an acceptable level of service at the time of replacement, there were a number of problems with the bridge and surrounding roadways:
The deck was deteriorating, the most pressing issue in the short term.
The bridge was of an obsolete, non-redundant structural design similar to that of the Hoan Bridge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which suffered a substantial structural failure. After the Hoan Bridge incident, the I-90 Mississippi River Bridge was hurriedly inspected and found to be in satisfactory condition, but concern about the basic steel structural design remained.
A lack of standard shoulders inhibited emergency responses to incidents on the bridge and did not provide enough room for disabled vehicles to get out the traffic lanes.
There were issues with the interchange on the Minnesota side, including a curve on the main travel lanes that was sharper than desirable for an interstate; a confusing design; and congestion on some of the ramps.
There were capacity problems at the Dresbach Rest Area on the Minnesota side, which had limited room for expansion. Compounding the problem, it was accessible from the eastbound direction, even though it was intended for westbound traffic only.
There were no provisions for bicyclists and pedestrians on the bridge.
In 2006, the Minnesota Department of Transportation commissioned a study on ways to rectify some or all of these issues. Some of the options that were presented included:
Replacing the deck only, estimated cost $23 million.
Widening and rebuilding the existing structure with either additional piers or strengthening the foundation, estimated cost $40–$58 million.
Building a new westbound girder bridge and converting the existing bridge to eastbound only, estimated cost $63 million.
In addition, the collapse of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis, on August 1, 2007 led to the effort by MnDOT to replace or modify "fracture-critical" bridges in the state. A concrete box girder bridge design was ultimately selected; with construction beginning January 2013.
