Shellsburg's Historic Spandrel Bridge
Quick Facts:
- Concrete Filled Spandrel Arch Bridge
- Built in 1915, population was 550
- Length - 64 feet
- Roadway Width - 24 feet
- Construction Cost - $6,081
- Design by the Iowa State Highway Commission
- Contract for construction awarded to Alfred Vinall and Sons, Davenport
- Listed on National Register of Historic Places June 25, 1998
- Retired to pedestrian use only in 2023
From the National Register:
The state highway commission eschewed ornamentation on its rural bridges as an unnecessary expense. Located in an urban setting, on the other hand, the Shellsburg bridge features a more studied architectural expression, with bichrome concrete detailing, molded concrete balustrades and incised spandrel panels. In this it differed from the majority of concrete structures built in Iowa in the mid-1910s. With its handsomely detailed and proportioned 60 foot span, it is a well preserved, relatively early example of urban bridge design by the state highway commission.
From the Cedar Rapids Gazette July 26, 2015:
Shellsburg boasted a population of 550 in March 1915, when Benton County commissioners approved the construction of a new bridge to replace the Pearl Street bridge over Bear Creek. The cost of the project was estimated at $6,000. Alfred Vinall and his five sons came from Davenport to build the 60-foot span with a 24-foot roadway and 20-foot wings on each end. Work on the bridge began in June, but it was a rainy summer. Wet weather kept the work from proceeding as planned. Hiring workers seemed an ongoing problem as well. Vinall advertised for laborers in The Gazette's want ads for most of the summer. The closed-spandrel cement arch bridge with cement spindles was completed in September 1915, but wasn't yet ready for traffic. It took another month for the approaches to be filled in. After that, the road leading to the south end of the bridge had to be widened. While that was happening, Shellsburg's Booster Club considered whether to light the bridge with boulevard lights.
The annual Old Settlers' Reunion in Shellsburg had to be canceled in 1915. When the festival resumed in 1916, The Gazette reported, "it was Shellsburg's annual gala day, lacking but once in the last thirty years, and that when the progress of the town had resulted in a tearing up of the main streets to such an extent that heavy traffic was impossible. Today Shellsburg has a fine new concrete bridge to show for the wait and for her progressive spirit ..." The bridge had served Shellsburg uneventfully for more than 80 years when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 1998.
The state highway commission eschewed ornamentation on its rural bridges as an unnecessary expense. Located in an urban setting, on the other hand, the Shellsburg bridge features a more studied architectural expression, with bichrome concrete detailing, molded concrete balustrades and incised spandrel panels. In this it differed from the majority of concrete structures built in Iowa in the mid-1910s. With its handsomely detailed and proportioned 60 foot span, it is a well preserved, relatively early example of urban bridge design by the state highway commission.
From the Cedar Rapids Gazette July 26, 2015:
Shellsburg boasted a population of 550 in March 1915, when Benton County commissioners approved the construction of a new bridge to replace the Pearl Street bridge over Bear Creek. The cost of the project was estimated at $6,000. Alfred Vinall and his five sons came from Davenport to build the 60-foot span with a 24-foot roadway and 20-foot wings on each end. Work on the bridge began in June, but it was a rainy summer. Wet weather kept the work from proceeding as planned. Hiring workers seemed an ongoing problem as well. Vinall advertised for laborers in The Gazette's want ads for most of the summer. The closed-spandrel cement arch bridge with cement spindles was completed in September 1915, but wasn't yet ready for traffic. It took another month for the approaches to be filled in. After that, the road leading to the south end of the bridge had to be widened. While that was happening, Shellsburg's Booster Club considered whether to light the bridge with boulevard lights.
The annual Old Settlers' Reunion in Shellsburg had to be canceled in 1915. When the festival resumed in 1916, The Gazette reported, "it was Shellsburg's annual gala day, lacking but once in the last thirty years, and that when the progress of the town had resulted in a tearing up of the main streets to such an extent that heavy traffic was impossible. Today Shellsburg has a fine new concrete bridge to show for the wait and for her progressive spirit ..." The bridge had served Shellsburg uneventfully for more than 80 years when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 1998.
Decommissioning the Bridge:
An inspection in May 2012 rated the bridge deck as fair, but its superstructure and substructure merited poor ratings. The city contracted with Origin Design of Dubuque to assess options for repair of the 1915 bridge or construction of a new bridge. Four options were offered: Do nothing, build a new bridge as you see today which angles between downtown and the railroad tracks, build a new bridge perpendicular to the old bridge, build a new structure at the existing location of the 1915 bridge. Many complications existed due to the old bridge being on the National Register of Historic Places and the close proximity to the railroad. Citizen input was received through several public hearings and there were numerous discussions during city council meetings. These considerations led to the selection of option #2 which was to build a bridge that angles between downtown and the railroad tracks and reflected the concept from 2013 Community Visioning.
Planning for a new bridge began in 2020 when the city became eligible for a state grant of $1,000,000 to repair or replace the bridge. Construction of the new bridge began in March of 2023, with ribbon cutting occurring in November 2023.
An inspection in May 2012 rated the bridge deck as fair, but its superstructure and substructure merited poor ratings. The city contracted with Origin Design of Dubuque to assess options for repair of the 1915 bridge or construction of a new bridge. Four options were offered: Do nothing, build a new bridge as you see today which angles between downtown and the railroad tracks, build a new bridge perpendicular to the old bridge, build a new structure at the existing location of the 1915 bridge. Many complications existed due to the old bridge being on the National Register of Historic Places and the close proximity to the railroad. Citizen input was received through several public hearings and there were numerous discussions during city council meetings. These considerations led to the selection of option #2 which was to build a bridge that angles between downtown and the railroad tracks and reflected the concept from 2013 Community Visioning.
Planning for a new bridge began in 2020 when the city became eligible for a state grant of $1,000,000 to repair or replace the bridge. Construction of the new bridge began in March of 2023, with ribbon cutting occurring in November 2023.