South St. Paul Swing Bridge

Located on the south side of St. Paul, this through truss swing bridge crosses the Mississippi River at Kaposia Landing Park. The bridge was originally constructed by Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company in 1910, and consisted of a 399-foot pin connected swing span, and a 197-foot 7-panel pin connected Pratt through Truss. In 1924, eight 80-foot deck plate girder spans were added to the north side of the bridge, and one 41-foot deck plate girder span was added to the south side of the bridge. These spans were fabricated by American Bridge Company. The north side of the bridge also utilizes a slight curve. The entire bridge is set onto concrete substructures. The approach truss utilizes a large lattice portal, occasionally seen on Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company spans. The bridge was constructed to provide a connection between the terminals on the east bank of the Mississippi River and the stockyards at South St. Paul.

In 1954, the bridge became undermined by flooding, and removal of the original swing span was required. In response, a riveted polygonal Warren through truss span was constructed on a new pier, and the work was completed in 1956. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. Pier #3 was struck by a barge in 2017, and was replaced by a steel pile structure. The author has ranked this bridge as regionally significant, due to the truss design.