Bridge was rebuilt from the arches up and widened during 1992 and 1993. A ferry operated at this location until the current bridge opened. When first opened, the Mendota Bridge was often called the Mile Long Bridge. While the bridge is an impressive structure, it is 1,161 feet short of a mile. Access to the underside of the structure is available though Fort Snelling State Park. The boat launch into the Minnesota River is under the east end of the bridge, which is also the location of the main span. The park visitors center and gift shop is located under the west end of the bridge.
Prior to this bridge being built, there was a rail line that crossed the Minnesota River at this location. This rail line ran south out of St. Paul, crossed to the south side of the river on the Omaha Bridge, then branched off the Omaha Line behind the Sibley House (now a historical landmark). From there, a trestle crossed the Minnesota main channel, and the line curved to run between Fort Snelling and the Mississippi River. The rail line eventually ran through Minnehaha Park and into Minneapolis along Hiawatha Avenue. This was the main route between the passenger terminals in Minneapolis and St. Paul until the Milwaukee Road built a bridge between the Lake Street Bridge and Franklin Avenue. That new route was much shorter than this route, so it was nicknamed the "shortline", and the new bridge was called the Shortline Bridge.
