The Rockwell City Bridge is located just east of Rockwell City, Iowa, United States. The 60-foot (18 m) span carried traffic on 270th Street over an unnamed stream.[2] In 1915 Calhoun County requested the Iowa State Highway Commission (ISHC) and Des Moines engineer James B. Marsh to design a bridge for this crossing. The ISHC designed a double span concrete girder structure, while Marsh submitted his patented single-span rainbow arch configuration. They chose the Marsh submission, and contracted with the Iowa Bridge Company to build six bridges for $11,690, which included the costs for this bridge at $4,107.65.[2] Originally built to serve a county road, it was later incorporated into the route for U.S. Highway 20 and carried heavy traffic until the highway was realigned in 1981. While no longer in use, the bridge remains in place just south of the replacement span. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.[1]

Rockwell City Bridge
Rockwell City Bridge is located in Iowa
Rockwell City Bridge
Rockwell City Bridge is located in the United States
Rockwell City Bridge
Location270th St. over an unnamed stream
Nearest cityRockwell City, Iowa
Coordinates42°23′57″N 94°36′25″W / 42.39917°N 94.60694°W / 42.39917; -94.60694
Arealess than one acre
Built1915
Built byIowa Bridge Company
ArchitectJames B. Marsh
Architectural styleMarsh arch
MPSHighway Bridges of Iowa MPS
NRHP reference No.98000752[1]
Added to NRHPJune 25, 1998

In 2020, the bridge and some adjacent land was turned into a roadside park managed by Calhoun County Conservation.[3][4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ a b Clayton B. Fraser. "Rockwell City Bridge" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
  3. ^ "'A nice, quiet place'". messengernews.net. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  4. ^ "Historic Rockwell City Rainbow Bridge Gets A Makeover". CBC Online - Carroll Broadcasting. Retrieved 2023-01-18.