Mark Morris Memorial Bridge

Mark Morris Memorial Bridge
File:Bridge Mississippi River Illinois Iowa Route 136 Fulton Illinois.jpg
Coordinates
Carries	2 lanes of Iowa Highway 136/IL-136
Crosses	Mississippi River
Locale	Clinton, Iowa and Fulton, Illinois
Official name	Mark Morris Memorial Bridge
Other name(s)	North Bridge Lyons-Fulton Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Truss bridge
Longest span	152 m
History
Opened	January 1975
Statistics
Daily traffic	9,800

The Mark Morris Memorial Bridge (locally called the North Bridge) is a 2 lane truss bridge across the Mississippi River in the United States. It connects the cities of Clinton, Iowa and Fulton, Illinois. The bridge may also be known as the Lyons-Fulton Bridge, which was the name of a predecessor bridge and the name listed on the USGS topographical map. The town of Lyons, Iowa, was annexed to Clinton in 1895, but the north end of the city is still referred to as Lyons. The bridge is the terminus of both Iowa Highway 136 and Illinois Route 136. The 1975 bridge was named in memory Mark Morris, a long time member of the City of Clinton Bridge Commission that died in 1972. Morris was instrumental in the construction of the 1975 bridge and the City of Clinton Bridge Commission named it in his honor. The bridge was opened in January 1975, replacing an older span upstream that once carried the Lincoln Highway, U.S. Route 30.) In 1982, Iowa DOT announced that it would be removing a 20 cent toll from the Gateway Bridge and the Mark Morris bridge beginning January 1983. Iowa and Illinois agreed to split responsibility for the maintenance of the two bridges with Iowa maintaining the Mark Morris bridge and Illinois the Gateway bridge.

1891 bridge

Wagon bridge, Fulton, Illinois (1891)

The older span was originally built in 1891 with a wooden deck; this was replaced in 1933 with a metal grate to allow snow to melt through. When the renovation was completed the bridge fathers held a grand ceremony during which a 19-year-old Cedar Rapids high dive artist, Walter W. Simon, dove from the 100-foot (30 m) high span into the Mississippi River. He was paid $1.00 per foot for this stunt.

See also

• List of crossings of the Upper Mississippi River