Mankato to Set 153-Year-Old Kern Bridge on New Piers for 190-Foot Pedestrian Crossing
Updated
Updated · KEYC · Aug 20
Mankato to Set 153-Year-Old Kern Bridge on New Piers for 190-Foot Pedestrian Crossing
3 articles · Updated · KEYC · Aug 20
Summary
Monday’s lift will place the 153-year-old Kern Bridge onto new concrete piers between Land of Memories Park and Sibley Park, with crews starting rigging at 7 a.m. and aiming to finish by noon.
The move advances Mankato’s rehabilitation and relocation project, turning the roughly 190-foot span into a pedestrian and bicycle crossing over the Blue Earth River after deterioration forced its dismantling in 2020.
Because the site is an active construction zone, officials asked the public not to gather during installation and instead watch a livestream at KEYC.com.
Built in 1873, the bridge is Minnesota’s oldest standing roadway truss bridge and the state’s only remaining bowstring through truss, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1980.