This concrete girder bridge is very typical of newer bridges that are being built by MN-DOT. It is not as exciting as the steel through truss bridge that it replaced, but it is a much more serviceable and longer lasting structure. MN-DOT dressed up the bridge a bit with the decorative stonework, iron railings, and fancy streetlights. In addition, there is very nice stonework on the bridge piers. Unfortunately, the roadway that leads under the bridge is closed, and the entire area is posted for no parking. I did visit late in the season, so perhaps the park will be open in summer, allowing one to get a nice view of the underside of the bridge.
The collection of buildings on top of the hill in the background of the photo above is Gustavus Adolphus College. On March 29, 1998, a F3 tornado tore though the city of St. Peter, destroying about half of the town. The college campus took a direct hit, with major damage to most of the buildings, and several building being damaged beyond repair. Tornados in March are very unusual. There were 14 confirmed tornados as part of that outbreak, compared to only 6 tornados ever recorded in the state of Minnesota during the month of March up to that date.
