Julien Dubuque Bridge

Information and Findings From Iowa's Historic Bridge Inventory

Discussion of Bridge

Named one of the top ten bridges in the country by Road and Bridges Magazine in 2003, the Julien Dubuque bridge spanning the Mississippi River was built by Ned Ashton of Bethlehem Steel in 1943. The current span is the only the latest historic bridge connecting the city of Dubuque with the Illinois side of the Mississippi.

From the start, Dubuque's fortunes have been tied inexorably to the Mississippi River. Founded by lead miners in 1833, the settlement soon became a stopping point for boats that plied the river trade. But Dubuque almost immediately concerned itself with travel across the river as well. One of the first commercial businesses established in the fledgling town was a ferry operation on the river, founded by General George W. Jones. The wagon ferries contributed greatly to the commercial prosperity of Dubuque and influenced the town's physical development through the location of their terminals. But the city paid a premium for its single railroad ferry. "The interests of Dubuque and Northern Iowa suffered for many years in consequence of the lack of transportation facilities between Dunleith and Dubuque," a historian wrote in 1880. "The ferry which plied between these cities was in the hands of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, and it was charged that this medium of communication was not only a merciless monopoly, but inadequate to the purpose."

After years of promoting for a railroad bridge by various Dubuque citizen's groups, the Dubuque and Dunleith Bridge Company was formed in 1866. The company received a Congressional charter for the bridge that year--one of the first such bridge charters granted for the Mississippi River. In January 1869, the company contracted with the Keystone Bridge Company of Philadelphia to build the original railroad bridge. Work on the first abutment began on January 27th; on December 15th the bridge was completed. The railroad bridge was renovated in 1900 and remains in operation today. The Dubuque Wagon Bridge opened in 1887 and was torn down in 1944 after the Julien Dubuque Bridge was completed in 1943. Two parts of the Wagon bridge were saved and used to build two county bridges, the White Water Creek Bridge, and the Cloie Bridge.

Julien Dubuque himself was an early Iowa pioneer, settling in what was then Spanish Louisiana in 1785. A fur-trader and lead-miner, Dubuque remained twenty years in northeastern Iowa, employing indigenous people and French Canadian settlers alike. He was buried on the top of a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River near Dubuque [adapted from Fraser 1993].

Additional Discussion of Bridge

The Julien Dubuque Bridge is a continuous steel-arch truss bridge with a suspended deck that traverses the Mississippi River. It joins the cities of Dubuque, Iowa, and East Dubuque, Illinois.

This bridge was named after Julien Dubuque, a French Canadian who arrived near what now is known as Dubuque, Iowa (which is also named after him). Dubuque was one of the first white men to settle in the area. He initially received permission from the Fox Native American tribe to mine the lead in 1788. Subsequently, the Spanish confirmed that transaction by giving him a land grant in 1796. Once he had received permission from the Fox to mine lead, Julien Dubuque remained in the area for the rest of his life. He befriended the local Mesquakie Chief Peosta, for whom the nearby town of Peosta, Iowa, is named.

The Julien Dubuque Bridge is part of the U.S. 20 route, and carries two lanes of traffic and one pedestrian walkway. It is one of two motor vehicle bridges over the Mississippi in the area (the Dubuque-Wisconsin bridge is three miles north and links Dubuque with Wisconsin) and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

According to the design specifications, the bridge superstructure was constructed with 1,925 tons of silicon steel and 2,292 tons of carbon steel. The approach spans used 3,205 tons of steel. The substructure required 34,087 cubic yards of concrete, 1,232 tons of steel and 2,909 timber piles. The total cost of construction in was $3,175,341.63.

Its longest span is 845 feet, total length 5,760 feet and width 28 feet. The clearance below the bridge is 64 feet. When built, the 845-foot main span was the second longest over the Mississippi River, fourth longest in the United States and eighth longest in the world.

The Julien Dubuque Bridge replaced an aging structure known locally as the "High Bridge" or "Wagon Bridge." Construction of the bridge was attributed in part to World War II and the need to facilitate military transportation. In 1942, the first parts of the bridge were begun. In 1943, the bridge was completed.

The bridge was originally painted gray to help camouflage the bridge in case of enemy attack. It was later repainted a dark green color and stayed that way until the early 1990's, when it was returned to its historic gray color during a renovation.

Because the bridge was financed with bonds, it was initially operated as a toll bridge. Proceeds were used to help pay off the bonds. In the post-war years, traffic was so heavy that the bonds were paid off 11 years early, and the bridge became toll-free in 1954.

In the early 1990s, the bridge underwent an extensive renovation. The deck was completely replaced, and a new walkway installed on the bridge.

Due to congestion on the bridge, the Iowa DOT has developed preliminary plans to build a parallel, two-lane bridge directly to the south of the Julien Dubuque Bridge. Some federal funding has been secured and right of way has been acquired. Construction is contingent upon additional federal funding being received.

Bridge Considered Historic By Survey: Yes