The Wall Street Bridge was reopened for use during a ribbon cutting ceremony held Thursday, September 28, 2006. The new bridge—connecting Minnesota’s Clay County and North Dakota’s Cass County—provides a safe means of transportation free from flooding dangers.

Prior to the bridge replacement, frequent flooding overtopped the deck due to low elevation and a small waterway opening. Based on flood data, the new bridge was designed to not only handle a 100-year flood but has the capacity to remain open during record-setting floods, comparable to the Red River Valley Flood of 1997. In fact, construction of the bridge was in progress during the third highest flood on record! It is approximately 16 feet higher and 685 feet longer than the old bridge.

Tim Moe, president of and structural engineer with Widseth Smith Nolting—the engineering firm that designed the new bridge–said, “We are proud to be a part of this project. We feel that it’s our job to not only design a quality bridge, but to contribute toward the safety and security of the citizens and those affected by past flooding.”

The Red River bridge is designed to accommodate the unique slope stability and foundation conditions of the Red River Valley. It is constructed with provisions to allow for soil movement, a typical problem with bridges in the area.

Although the new bridge carries two lanes of traffic, it was built 66 feet wide to allow for four lanes when traffic volumes increase in the future. In addition, a 10-foot-wide bikeway/walkway was added for bicyclists and pedestrians with connections under the bridge to the existing river trail system.

The new $6.8 million bridge—paid for by federal and state funding—was a combined effort among two counties, two states, Departments of Natural Resources from two states, and various other government agencies.

WSN is a multi-disciplined firm of over 140 employees providing architectural, engineering, land surveying, and environmental services. Its offices are located in Alexandria, Baxter/Brainerd, Bemidji, and Crookston, Minnesota, and Grand Forks, North Dakota.