"

INTCRSTATC 129

SERGEANT FLOYD MEMORIAL BRIDGE

. -·- . . ___ :r-

::zg:~"=='---; --~-'- . _· -­~~~~

. . ----. . - . -

DCD/CATIDN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22~ 1976 ,.,

11:00 A.M.

PRDGRAWI MASTER of CEREMONIES

WALTER L. MoRRIS DEPUTY DIRECTOR-OPERATION HIGHWAY DIVI SION IoWA DEPAfi TMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

INVOCATION REVEREND DR. T. J. C. ScHULDT PASTOR1 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH SouTH Sioux CITY1 NEBRASKA

WELCOME TH E HONORABLE CHARLES E. STRONG MAYOR--DAKOTA CITYJ NEBRASKA CHAIRMAN--SIMPCO

INTRODUCTIONS TH E HoNoRABLE G. WILLIAM GRoss MA YoR--Sioux CITY1 IowA

THE HoN ORABLE KEITH FERRIS MAYOR- -SOUTH SIOUX CITYJ NEBRASKA

REMARKS THE HoNORABLE RoBERT D. RAY GovERNOR--STATE OF IowA

ROBERT RI GLER CHAIRMAN IOWA DEPT, OF TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

THE HoNO RAB LE J. JAMES ExoN GovERNOR--STATE OF NEBRASKA

MERLE KINGSBURY MEMBER1 NEBRASKA HIGHWAY COMMISSION

DEDICATION CEREMONY JOHN B. KEMP REGIONAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATOR FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADM-INISTRATION UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

PARTICIPANTS GovERNOR RoBERT D. RAY1 IowA GovERNOR J. JAMES ExoNJ NEBRASKA ERNEST L. ALBERTSEN} SOUTH SIOUX CITYJ i~EBRASKA MAYOR KEITH FERRIS1 SOUTH SIOUX CITY1 NEBRASKA MAYOR G. WILLIAM GRoss~ Sioux CITY1 IowA MAYOR RAY MANNI SERGEANT BLUFF1 IowA COMMISSIONER GEORGE SHRADER1 DAKOTA COUNTY1 NEBRASKA MAYOR CHARLES E. STRONG} DAKOTA CITYJ NEBRASKA SuPERVISOR JERRY O'SuLLIVAN~ WooDBURY CouNTY1 IowA

ASSISTING WIL~IAM w. AMUNDSON RALPH F. BEERMAN N PAUL A. BERGER RoBERT BLESSING CoRNELius BoDINE~ JR. JULES M. BUSKER JOHN E. CURFMAN LEONARD W. DIERKING EARLE N. GRUESKIN

BENEDICTION REVEREND DR. CHARLES E. MASON UNITED METHODIST MINISTER--RETIRED Sioux CITY1 IowA

JosEPH L. HoLDEFER MERLE KINGSBURY DoNALD K. McKINNEY DoNALD M. MEISNER DONALD J I MULLIN RoNALD D. RAPP JAMES E. REEDE R KENNETH J . RoDEEN ALBERT E. STRE ETE R

SERGEANT FLOYD MEMORIAL BRIDGE (INTERSTATE 129)

SERGEANT FLOYD MEMORIAL BRIJJGE <INTERSTATE

THE BUI LDING OF THE SERGEANT FLOYD MEI10RIAL BRIDGE WAS A R SULT OF MUCH HARD WORK

BY LOCAL OFFICIALS AND cITIZENS' THE EFFORT WAS SPEARHEADED B I~RNEST L. ALBERTSEN,

THEN MAYOR OF SoUTH SIOUX CITY, HE, WI TH JAMES E. REEDER, THE I)AYOR OF SIOUX CITY,

AND CORUELIUS BODINE, JR., FORMER CITY MANAGER OF S IOUX CITY, f dANIZED THE FI RST

MEETINGS IN 19o4 CONCERNING THE UEED FOR A BRIDGE, SOUTH S10yx dnY AND SIOUX CITY

JOINED WITH WOODBURY COU1HY, NORTH SIOUX CITY, UNION COUNTY, dA qTA COUNTY, SERGEANT

BLUFF AND DAKOTA CITY TO ORM AN ORGANIZATION KNOWN AS THE S1 1uLi ND iNTERSTATE

METROPOLITAN PLANN I NG COUNCIL (Sii1PC0),

PLANNING ACTIVITIES INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION , ERNEST L, ALBERTSEN WAS ELEC ~AS

SIMPCO's FIRST CHAIRMAN ON MARCH 11, 1965 . DAKOTA CI TY WAS REPRESENTED BY CHA~ £.

STRONG, SERGEANT BLUFF BY LLOYD H. FYMBO (DECEASED); WoODBURY COUNTY BY JAMES E.

ANllERSOo<; 1iORTrl SIO~X CITY llY ALBERT l:: . STREETER; DAKOTA COUNTY BY ROBERT BLESSING;

AND UN!Oi< COUNTY BY ELMER QuAM , THE S IOUX CITY PLANNING COM~11 SS ION WAS REPRESENTED

THE FIRST REAL PROGRESS WAS MADE AT A MEETIN G OF MAYOR ALBERTSEN WITH SENATOR

JEN~I~GS RANUOLPrl , CHA IRMAN OF Trl~ SENATE COMM I TTEE OF PUB LIC WORKS ON FEBRUARY 21,

1967, MILEAGE FOR Trl!S IMPORTANT BRIDGE WAS ADDED TO THE iNTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEI-1

IN LATE 1968 AND ANNOUNCED IN SIOUX CITY ON THE EVEN ING OF DECEMBER 13, 1968,

THE EFFORT TO GAIN THE BRIDGE WAS ENHANCED BY THE EFFORTS OF ROBERT BARRY

(DECEASED), iOWA STATE HI GHWAY CoMMISSIONER AND 11ERLE KINGSBURY, NEBRASKA HI GHWAY

COMMISSIOoiER,

THE EFFORT WAS ALSO AIDED BY THE ASSISTANCE OF FORMER NEBRASKA FIRST DISTRICT

CoNGRESSMEN ROBERT J) , DENNEY AND RALPH F, llEERMANN; UNITED STATES SENATORS JACK

MI LLER, IOWA AND CARL CURTIS , NEBRASKA; SIXTH DISTRICT CONGRESSI1EN STANLEY GREIGG AND

WILEY MAY.NE , GOVER1<D RS NoRB ERT T. TIEMANN , NEBRASKA, rlAROLD E. H~GHES, IowA, AS WELL

As cuRRE NJ_jjoVERNORs--lloBEBL-ll ,_ Y, I ow A AND J , JAMEs ExoN,. NEBRA'SKA ,

------~-BY JAMES S, lEPSE (DECEASED) AND LEONARD W, 0! ERKING, THE SOUTH SIOUX C! TY PLANNING THE RGEANT FLOYIJ 11EMORIAL ilRIDG ( 1-12~. 1-5 A CONTINUoUS , COMPOSITE, WELDED

~

CoMMISSION BY MARVIN ii. HARRIS , SERGEANT BLUFF PLANNING COMMISSION BY CHARLES IJOOLERY, STEEL GIRDER TRUCTURE I n A COI<CRETE FLOOR, REi oi FORCED cO;iCRETE SUBSTR~TURE WITH

lJA KO TA CITY PLANNING & LON I NG COM111SSION B-v---:iJEN~Lo-cP~f-~IJ:~~~(DECEASED) , AND MAiil PIE~S SuPPORT~JJ Oil STEEL PILES DRIVEN TO BEllROCK , TrlE MAIN SPAll IS 450 FEET

THE WOOllt~URY COUNTY LOIHNG CoMMISSION BY ROBERT IIERBOLO <t • • \}'\...._ - ~ LOI<G, PHOVIIJI~G A dORIZO~TAL NAVIGATIONAL OPENING OF 4JQ FEET CLEAR, TiiE BRIDGE

NAllY TRIPS WERE MADE TO \iASHINGTOH BY MR . ALBER sfi ND OTrlERS , TECiiNI ·-, STU 1· S ,;.. ·-~ROV.JDU..A.IIO UJ;,.5L~ET OF VERTICAL OPENI NG AT ORDINARY FLOW DURING TrlE NAVIGATION l.j "v v~ '- ' '·

· , SEASON, THE BRI DGE AND HIGHWAY CONNECTIONS WJLL SERVE AS A U, S, HIGHWAY 20 BY-PASS

' FROMEAST oF-Si"'UX'Cn v:C-'io WEST- or"Scmrrr..Steux CI TY-, THE STRUCT~RE WI LL SERVE _, AF~~~ - Ntr"FRelM THE GROWII<G AREAS OF MORI~JNGSIDE, BRIDGEPORT, AI RPOR T,

,- ~EAL~-S ' uFF, ~ ff -'S!OU*c-_I~KOTA CITY AI<D CRYSTAL lAKE,

THE EFFO~ N~~E -I!Rt'DG'E AS LED BY TI'!F LEWis- AND. CLARK ~ IS TORICAL AsSOCIATIOii,

KANSAS CITY, MissouRI. DoNALD M. 11EISNER WAS ~•~<: 1 e: ~ . '"""'"'

AND rlERBERT A, SPOuo~ER~E TED HEI~IHNI>So&_ rlE I NEMA N RoPRESENTED_ i:lOWARO..-_!lEEDLES, :f.~MEN ANll BE

... ·-....,.. ........ ~--l.------

v. "STRODE" rliNDS, PRESI-DENT. -

INDUSTRY and TRIJrCKING RCPRCSCNTATIVCS

BusES f URNISHED fl y :

S IOUX CITY TRANS IT SYSTEM

TRUCKS FURNISHED BY:

- HIRSCHBACH MOTOR LI NES, INC,

- HOERNER-WALDOR F CORP,

- IOWA BE EF PROCESSORS , INc ,

- METZ BAK I NG CoMPANY

- YELLOW FRIEGHT SYSTEM INC •.

Sioux CITY ~loToR EXPREss, I Nc .

- S I OUX TRANS PORTATI ON COM PANY

- WESTHO FF, INc .

WILSON TRAILER CoMPANY

- CARGO CON TRACT CARRI ER CORP,

1- 129- FLOYD MCMl'IRIAL BRIDGC CONTRACTING

A.

ll.

FROM EXISTING HIGHWAY 77 TO WEST ABUTMENT OF FLOYD MEMORIAL BRIDGE

1, LENGTH - 1.7 MILES 2, CON TRACTORS, TYPE OF WORK AND COSTS:

A, VAN BUSKIRK Coi~STRUCTION CoMPANY (Sioux Cn Y, m~A)

s.

c.

D,

E •

CE;NTURY FENCE COMPANY (\iAUKESHA, \j I SCONS IN)

W~STERN CONTR~CTI~G CORP , (S i oux Cnv, . lowAJ

HILL's SAND & GRAVEL (POLK, NEBRASKA)

HQBE ENGINEER j i~G CORP , (SIOUX CITY, OWA)

FLOYD MEMORIAL BRIDGE

1, CoNTRACTORS, TYPE OF WORK AND COSTS:

GRADING, CONCRE TE PAVING , CULVERTS AND DE TOUR

FENCE

PAVING

SE EDING MD GUARDRAI L

BRIDGES

TOTAL

A, JENSEN CONSTRUCT I ON COMPANY (VES MoiNES, IOWA) - SUBS TRUC TURE

B,

c.

P(l TTSBURGH-DES MOINES STIE~ L Co, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVAN I ,O SUPERS TR UCTURE

f(QX CONSTRUCTION COMPANY MUSCATINE, OWA) FLOOR OVERLAY

COIISTRUCTION ENG I NEER I NG

TOTAL

$ 3, 078,343

64,403

$ 1, 321, 811

61, 448

786 .890

$ 5, 312,895

$15,738, 848 $ 1. 188. 775

$16, 92 7' 623

FOR YOOR EFFORTS

ON

c.

NCIWS MCDIA PARTICIPATING

S IOUX CITY JOURNA L

SO UTH S I OUX CITY STAIR

FARM TO MARKET TRUCK ER NEWS

OHAHA WoRLD HERALD

Des MoiNES REGISTER

KCAU TELE VISION

KMEG TELEVIS ION

KTI V TELEVISI ON

I-129 - I-2Y & U, S, 75 INTERCHANGE

1. CONTRACTORS , TYPE. OF WORK AND COSTS:

A. VAN BusKIRK C:oN~TRUCTjON C0~1PANY (SIOLIX CI TY, OWA)

B, FQLEY BROTH~R.S (ST, PAUL, fli NNESOTA)

c.

D.

E,

F ,

G,

H,

I,

J ,

K.

L,

M,

OSTER & PEDER:SON (MINNEAPOLIS, i1I NNESOTA)

HQBE EN(iii~EERII~G CORP, (SIOUX CITY, OWA)

CHRISTENSON B-ROJtlERS (CH EROKEE, IOWA)

JENS EN CoNSTRUCT ION Co . (VES MOINES, IOWA)

IIATERLoo Co~STRVCTION (WATERLOO, I 0~/A)

IRVING F . JENSEN (Sioux CITY, IowA)

Co.

PROGRESSJVE COIHRt-CTORS, (OSSEO, J·li,~i~ESOTA)

D6CK ! NSON INC ' ( SKALOOSA, IOWA)

1/ATI ONA~ ADVERTJSING Co . ARGO, I LLINO I S

RIG HT OF liAY

ENG I NE ERING

I NC ,

GRADING

STRUCTURES

STRUCTURES

STRUC TURES

STRUC TURES

STRUCTURES

STRUC TU RES

PAV I NG

PAVIN G

LIGHTI NG

S I GN I NG

N, To BE LET - EROS I ON CON TRO L (EST , )

TOTAL FOR I IITERCHANGE

GRAim TOTAL

(FROM EXISTING HIGHWAY 77 TO I - 129 - l-29 & U, S, 75 INTERCHANGE)

KMNS RAD IO

t\SCJ RADI 0

KWSL RAD IO

$ 2,639, 566

$ 4, 180, 14b

$ 3 , 867,719

350,804

194,351

$ 2, 201,417

949, 96Y

$ 36 . 000

$14, 419, 972

$36 . 660 . 490

SERGEANT FLOYD MEMORIAL BRIDGE

Ernest L. Albertsen

James E. Anderson

Jan Albertson

W. Burnett Austin

Leonard Andersen

William Amundson

Paul Beck (deceased)

Allen Beermann

Robert Barry (deceas ed)

~alph Beermann

Paul A. Berger

Robert Blessing

Roy Bartels

Jules Busker

Mrs. Kay Beacom (deceased)

Cornelius Bodine. Jr.

Wayne Boyd

Berkley Bedell

Dan Cahill . Jr .

Robert E. Carlson

John E. Curfman

Carl Curtis

Joseph Coupal. Jr.

Louis P. Culver

Leonard W. Dierking

Robert Oodsley

Donald Doyle

Leonard Dai ley

Thomas Doyle

J . James Exo~

Lloyd H. FYJIIbo (deceased)

SIOUXLAND THANKS YOU

Don Fi tch

Charles W. Garthri ght

Earle N. Grueskin

Wilfred L. Gerking

Stanley Greigg

Robert Gunsolley

Bruce Gi Uan

Howard Gwmers on

Ray Goods on

Julie Goodson

Arlo 0 . Herbo ld

Paul Heineman

Joseph Holdefer

Merle Haynes

ShiT l ey Hughes

Marvin N. Harris

Lance Hedquis t

Ward Henders on

Harold E. Hughes

Wendell P. Heffelfinger (deceas ed)

W. Robert Herbold

W. H. Hi ndman

Roman L. Hrus ka

John Ire lan

Irv i n D. Joy

Harry Junek

Peter Jorgensen

Wi llis Junker

Gary Joh.:lnsen

Melvin Keyser

Kevin Kelly

Oerald Kohl es

L. V. Kuhl

Robert Kuze l ka

James S. Leps c (dec•eased)

John Laros '

Ted Lars on

Norris Leamer

Thomas Massey

Don J . Mullin

John R. Murphy

Thomas McCarthy

William R. Macfarlrune

Samuel McMaster

Donald M. Meisner

Carl Noer r (deceased)

Harry Nel son

S. H. Nelson

Leroy Pfister

R. James Pearson

Elmer Quam

Ronald Rapp

James E. Reeder . Jr .

Ray Rodeen

George P. Rapp

Michael Randolph

Robert Rogers

Rus sell Rich

Kenneth Rodeen

George Rowe

Daniel Rohde

James Reid

Robert D. Ray

Phil Sherman (deceasoed)

Albert Streeter

Charles E. Strong

Emers on Sc.hi ll

Reuel Swenson

John Shannahan

George Saunders

Donald Shooi ng

Don Schaller

Dan Shasteen

Harold Smock

Herbert A. Spooner

Rodney Smi th

Henry Trys la

Julian Torgerson

Willi:1m F. Turner

Albert E. Thacker

Ernie 1\trek

Charles Thone

Norbert T. Tiemann

Tom L. Weekes

Charles Wool ery

Marie White

Robert Williams

Howard Weiner

Walt er Webb

Don Woodford

Ralph Wi ! cox

J8llleS Yanney

George Young

George Wimmer

Gerald E. Zeller

77·20

----.--EPLACEMEN1'

____........._ -=====---~ ~----- ~·

GROUWDBRCAKING CC~r:lCMONY

M~fJNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1976 11:45 A.M.

PROGRAM WIASTER of CEREMONIES

RoNALD D. RAPP SouTH Sioux CITY PLANNING & ZoNING CoM~ISSION SIMPCO BOARD MEMBER '

PRELUDE S 1 oux C 1 TV \~EST H 1 GH ScHOOL WoLVERINE PEP BAND WILLIAM DYKSHORN ... DIRECTOR

INVOCATION RABBI ALBERT A. GORDON MOUNT SINAI TEMPLE Sioux CITY.., IowA

REMARKS THE HoNORABLE G. WILLIAM GRoss MAvoR--Sioux CITY.., IowA

THE HoNORABLE KEITH FERRIS MAYOR--Soun-1 Sioux CITY.., NEBRASKA

FAREWELL. TO CO.BINAT~FON BRIDGE

DR. CAR~ROL MclAuGHLIN PROFESSOR~-MoRNINGSIDE COLLEGE Sioux CITY.., IowA

GROUNDBii~EAKING CEREMONY MAYORS GOVERNORS CoNGRESSMEN CITIZENS •

.I

BENEDICTJrQN REV I JAMES E. FITZGERALD PASTOR--ST MICHAEL'S CATHOLIC CHURCH SouTH Sioux CITY.., NEBRASKA

FAREWELL to the COIIIIBINATIDN BRIDGE

Sa l uting the vision and achievement of those whose thoughts and words once built

t his C011bination Bridge, an-d ce lebrating in completion of one ne\11 bridge and prepar.atlon

fo r anot her, l et us r ecognize that t he Siouxla nd Int erstate Met ropolita n Plann ing

Council provides coherence and recognition that poetry - -which .st.ill 11ean.s "ma ki ng"

and "shaping" and "fondng"--ouaht to be a part of our experience here and now.

The progra• for the day indicates t he eloquence of the C011bination Bridge's

designer, John Aleunder Low Wardell--and it seems fitting that a mn whose ideas

and expr essions cou l d wor k on the Tr ans-siberian Rai l way and SiouJt land's venerable

bridge would be a ma n of rtemorable wordi ngs . Of course we can realhe that he, like

111ost visionaries who get t hings done, may have ex t ended his rhetor ic while praising

his co-worke r s. His judg!Jient that they WTought well we c.a n attest again; and al l

th e changes t his impressive old bridge has expeTienc.ed only enhance our sense o f its

re1113rkab l e qualities . It has not ooly been t he path of countless walkers, the route

of •igh t y trains, the way for street cars and busses and motor vehicles to link our

t owns , a.nd the host for horses and carriages inhabi t ing our nostalgia--it has opened ,

however r eluctantly , for traffic on its own reason for being, the Missouri--and been

a provi ng point for the ancient adage which tells us all we need to know of history :

Yru can never step into the same river twice. For in these eight decades and more,

that cha nging bridge has stood amidst the constant change of our river, and the dead

who buil t it, and the thousands who have crossed it and no longer live, share in our

cereaonies now--just as all of us, having left our lifeti•es behind us as this next

bridge is be~Oil.ing custcaary, can be a certain portion of the future for having some

•tsories and for being able to be among today•s fo1'111ers of the future.

The ancient words--Ave~~ Vale--Hail and Farcwell!--can be said again, not merely

to one br idge with enough idiosyncrasies to be worth knowing, but about all hU118n

r e lationships attempting to span the spaces which offer challenge to our sense of

continuity--and whose spannings are places and ways of our going forth and back . .

Merica's original bard, Wa lt Whit~~~an, always hearing America singing at work and

declari ng t hat each of us is a practicing poet, fulfill s his promise again today. As

he d id r iding the Brooklyn Ferry even before Sooysalith and C011pany built the Hudson

River tunnels to the west, Walt's assuran ce that he could t hink of us and under stand

our situation can be verified now. For the place where we are and 'for noticing our

rea l resources, Walt's lines are right:

Others 111ay praise what they like;

But I, from the banks of the running Missouri, pra.ise nothing in art or

aught else,

Ti ll i t nas well inhaled the at.aosphere of this river, a l so the

wen.ern prairie scent,

and exudes it all again .

Assuming that we nre c0111mon peopl e , and could de110nst rate Walt's point that Amedca•s

poetic genius is in its conmon people, probably we can IIBke simple and c l ear sense

out of h is notion that if }rou stand where we stand, then this river and th i s land

arrund us are surely what ue need to breathe in, express , and pr.aise--before we try

t o praise bridges, or inst !ltutions, or arts, or temporary inhabitants. These banks

and this flowing stream art! basic , as always and ever. Elections, wars, inven t ions,

urban renewal, and space travel won't change that truth.

Wa l t t.'hi t mn also offers wiisdo11 for our future traveling. He l oved to ao around the

country with an attitude cnusing him to find and celebrate

..• The cheerful voice of the pub l ic road, the gay fresh sentiment

of the rottd ,

And individualist that he _,as, going often in ways nobody else found, Walt still knew

t hat it was this public r01:1d he must also love , and he cou ld actually say to a highway,

• • . You express mo better than t can express myself,

you sha 11 be 110re to me than my poe• • • •

Yes, we who travel need bot:h roads and poems, for one without the other will end in

a boring t rip or a pointle!;s collection of words . Whitaan's view is encompassing:

Or. Car ro l Mc Laughlin

• . .· To know the universe i tse 1 f as a rood, as mauy roads, as roads for

t r aveli ng souls •..

Conny Bodine , whose ideas and words cause much construction around us, likes to remind

us of Lewis Mumford's view that, next to language itself, the city is mankind ' s best

devel op11ent. Thinking of these two cities here , in light of that sugges t ion, let

Wh iblan ' s ad.onltioo speak to us and give grace once more to the bridges between:

.Thrive, cities--bring your freight, bring your shows, ample and

su•ffident rivers,

Expand, being tha n which none else is perhaps 1110re spiritua l ,

l eep )'OUT places , objects t han which none else is more lasting,

Crossing the Combination Br idge has be·en a vita l part of count l ess acts of t r ouble

and crisis , as well as of benefit and enjoy111ent; we s hou ld kindly and hones tl y

employ Walt • s words:

.We usc you, and do not ca.st you aside--we plant you permnently within us,

We fathom you not--we love you-- there is perfection in you also ,

you f urnish your pnr t s toward eternity,

Cr e:lt or small, you furnish your parts towa r d t ile srul.

Recently , drivi g across the bridge conscious of this day's expec t ations, and

wa l ki ng across it in affection, I have looked into t he upward r eaches of its rising,

wi th soae heights for resting birds and hints of o ld riggings, a ndjnto the a1113zlng

wa ters of t he Missouri, and then into t he 11achtnes and persons crossina the bridge,

There is no doubt about it; Whitm:ln is right--everything the bridge does tends

towa rd attitudes and events which transcend time and space, which in natural process

s how us both changing and enduring realities. Sometime before the new steel-tied

arch main span is et'ected and its four l anes of traffic and wider ways for pedestrians

and bicycles are opened, walk forth and bad:. on our' longtime l andmark--and register

your experience among those posseuions you can live without and have as keepsakes .

Ther e arc vibra t ions and perceptions y•ou can receive uniquely just here, and anything

as finicky and chanain~ as the C011tbination Bridge deserves your attention while you

can stil l shape it and 110ke so.ething fro~:~ it.

Seei ng the photographs in John Schmidt ' s Profile and yesterday ' s Journal, one can

easily i.&agine what Walt Whitaan felt, as ever attenti ve to who was doJng the work

and how t hey were singing while they dld it. What did the "sandhogs" sing, and in

wha t Sioux land inns, as they went into the HiS"""JTi to base that bridge? We can

be lieve Walt passed

••• the picturesque groups, the workmen gather'd.

and ••. t he gigantic uchines

knowing that it ws all a part of forming America, the greatest of all poems, as

he said . Certain ly bridges and all conaunications systems can lead to dehumaniz.ing

and stupid aovement--Wal t faced that a11d accepted it as one of the equal facts of

Alucrican composition. lie i nsisted , th1:xJgh, that America would in time "justify

i tself" and that the American dream ai.1~ht be verified. Recognizing past accomplis h­

II Oilts and anticipating new thoroughfnr1es f or our journeys, let the words be he11rd again:

... Singing the great achievCJnents of the present,

Singing the strong light ,.,orks of engineers.

and si ngi ng also the "infinite greatness of the past" and certifying the 11y t hs we

contt'lllplate , of which the river is a cc)nstant and chan~ ing symbol. It is that larger

purpose which we can tr)' to c0111prehend in this day of bridges, cities, and th e r iver :

.seest thou not Cod ' s pU TJ'Il)S e fr081 the first?

The earth to be spanned, I!Cinnect ed by network,

• Tho races, uei ghbors.

.•• the distant brought near,

The lands to be welded together .

A worship ~w I sing,

You captains , voyogers, explorers, yours,

You, not for trade and tnmsportati on only,

but in God's name, and foi' thy sake 0 soul.

CDIIIIBINATIDN BRIDGE HISTORY

" WELL HAVE YOU WRO,..GHT,

AT THI S YO UR MOIWMENT .~ ._._ .Y ....... ..r.

SUCH WAS THE TOAST TO TH~ .\:.9 J, A. l. WARDELL, AT THE JANUARY 21, 189

';( THIS ~1JSSOURI RIVER SPAN, ..,..,.. 'J

DESPITE WARDELL'S OPTIMISTIC PJ,.~ C E

HOWEVER, THE COMBI NATION ilR IDGE SHALL SO

CONSUMING FANG SHALL GNAS H ITSELF IN VAIN

ON BRIDGE OFFERED BY ITS CHIEF ENGINEER,

BANQUET HERALDING THE COMPLETION OF

TO THE ETERNAL Ll FE OF THE STRUCTURE,

CEDE ITS FUNCTIONS TO A NEW BRIDGE MORE

SUITED TO THE DEI1ANDS OF MODERN TRANSPO~I ON , YET THE BRIDGE REMAI NS AN

ENGINEERI NG AND FINANCIAL TRIBUTE TO llrS~E. Td!V~P.§'ROX IMATELY 2~FOOT BRIDGE, ) oMPLETED AFTE R NEARLY SI X YEARS OF

FINANCE-PLAGUED PRIVATE CON STRUCTION, ~IAS ·~HE RESULT OF THE WO RK CARRIED OUT BY ..., -{ SUCCESSIVE ;;p IES , IT_JI EPLACED THE RIVER SPANNI NG FUNCTIONS

'b~~ts iiFERiltJ!Jl:fi:A:T AND PONTOON...B!}IDGE PFit DECESSORS BY CARRYING RAILROAD TRAINS,

ANS ~Nil.HOR;E Af~IUGGIES, B SL THE ORIGINAL COMBI NATI ON BRIDGE HAD

PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS ON EITHER SIDE AND

OUTER THO LANES, A HIGH FE NCE WAS

THE ANIMALS WOULD NOT

11ERLE HAYNES, FORMER SIOUX CITY MAYOR GEORGE YouNG,

~1ANAGoR CORNELl US I!Olli NE AND SIOUX Ci n'A NS, E. T. "GENE" fLA'!:!!.M

tlATCHELLER AND FORMER IOWA CONGRESSMAN CHARLES B. HOEVEN, _c..r SEVERAL WELL-KNOWN ENGINEERS TOOK PART I N THE DESIGff OF THE COMBINATION BRIDGE,

SOOYSMITH AND COMPANY OF flEW YORK, HEADED BY WILLIAM SooYSMITH, WAS CONTRACTOR FOR

.:?::,F' ITS SUBS TRUCTURE, SOOY SMITH, FAMO US FOR HIS IMPROVEMENTS IN~ PNEUMATIC PROCESS

FOR Sli~ K I NG FOUNDATIONS WAS ALS O ENGI NEER FOR iiEW YoRK C~~ HUDSON RIVER TUNNELS

FOR RAILROADS, To COMPLETE THE SOOYSMITH AND COMP~ PLA MORE,. THAN 200

"sANDHoGs" wERE BRouGrlT To S ioux CnY FRoM NEw YoRK V TH~EME'r?wo~ELow THE MISSOURI's SuRFAfE CONSTRUCTING T~CES SARY PNE U~ ASS.WiiS FOR THE

BRIDGE' S SUBSTRUCTURE , -~, V JOHN ALEXANDER l ow WARDELL, THE ELOQUE NT TOASTER AT v ~iJG'E-~.1,_.

BANQUET, WAS THE DESIGNER FOR THE COMBINATI ON ilRIDGE SU~Tnt:TURE, AN ENGINEERING PROFESSOR, AUTHOR AND CONSULTANT FO R BU I(is ~CTS THE WORLD, liAS PRI NCIPLE ENG! NEER FOR TrlE TRANS-S IBERIAN ~A?, IS WO~~

THAT PROJECT WON rliM SPECIAl. rlO NORS FRO M THE RuSSIAN GOVER~~ . I'Y ALTHO UGrl RECENTLY THE STRESS OF 80 YEARS OF SERVICE rlAS

COuRSE ON THE COI1BINATION o HIDGE AND MA LFUNCTIONS OF THE DRA~I

TIE-UPS, THE STRUCTURE NONEifHELESS HAS REMAINED A TRIBUTE TO TrlE

WHO REALIZED THE VALUE THAT

SouTH S IOUX CITY, NEBRASKA ,

EX I STI 1~G CO!'Ul l ilATION BRIDGE

TrlE BRIDGE, AS IT EXI STS

THE NAVIGATION SEASON, THE BRIDGE WILL CARRY FOUR

OF ROADWAY WlllTH AND, IN AlJDITION, WILL I NCLUDE AN EIGHT FOOT WALKWAY FOR

PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLES,

EsTIMATED cosT $20,609,100 INCLUDES NEBRAS KA APPROACH ;~ iOWA J-129 INTERCHANGE

A SPECI.AL DAY IN

SIDUXLAND MARINA INN

THE HoNORABLE RoBERT D. RAY GovERNOR -

SOUTH SIOUX CITY~ NEBRASKA NOVEMBER 22~ 1976

1:00 P.M.

STATE oF IowA

THE HoNORABLE CHARLES THONE U. S. CoNGRESSMAN -

PRELUDE 1ST DISTRICT NEBRASKA SouTH Sioux CITY SwiNG CHOIR J. RoBERT FLoss~ DIRECTOR SoUTrl Sioux CITY HIGH ScHOOL

THE HoNORABLE BERKLEY BEDELL U. S. CoNGRESSMAN -6TH DISTRICT IOWA

THOMAS D. DoYLE MASTER of C~FREWIDNIES

PAUL A. BERGER: DIRECTOR - STATE ENGINEER NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF ROADS

PRESIDENT -Sioux CITY CHAMBER OF CoMMERCE HowARD E. GuNNERSON

CHIEF ENGINEER - HIGHWAY DIVISION IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WELCOME JoHN P. McNEIL. PRESIDENT - ERNEST L. ALBERTSEN SouTH Sioux CITY CHAMBER oF CoMMERCE SOUTH SIOUX CITY~ NEBRASKA

REMARKS CLOSING REMARKS

THE HoNoRABLE J. JAMES ExoN GovERNOR -

THE HoNoRABLE CHARLES E. STRONG MAYOR - DAKOTA CITY~ NEBRASKA Slf~PCO CHAIRMAN

STATE OF I~EBRASKA

SIMPCO MEMBERS REPRESENTATIVE

DAKOTA COUNTY, NEBRASKA , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , MR. GEORGE W, SHRADER IDA CouNTY, IowA •• , • • • , , , • • • • •••• , I~R. EMMEIT SAHL MoNONA CouNTY, IowA • , ••• , • • • • • • ••• MR. LESTER BARTELS UNION COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA, , , , , , , I~R. PHIL HILTON WooDBURY CouNTY, IowA • , ••• MR. JERRY O'SuLLIVAN

"BATTLE CREEK, IowA, , • • • • • • • • • • • • •• MAYOR JoHN W. FuN DERMAN "BRoNsoN, IowA • • •• , • • • , •• MAYoR ARTHUR BRowN "CAsTANA, IowA • , • • • • , ••••• • • , MAYoR GILBERT GoTTO

CHEROKEE, IowA •• , , • • • ••• , •••• , •• MAYoR CARVEL BuRKHART DAKOTA CITY, NEBRASKA , , , , , , , , , , , , '.MAYOR CHARLES STRONG ELK PoiNT, SouTH DAKOTA • • • , •••• , ••• , MAYoR R. T. CoLLINGWOOD

"GALVA, IowA , , • • • , • • • • • • MAYOR DARYL ALLEN HINTON, IowA. • • • • • , • • .MAYoR RoNALD TAGUE HOMER, NEBRAS KA , , , , , , , .MAYOR DARRELL LYON HUBBARD, NEBRASKA , , , , , , , . MAYOR JERRY JENSEN IDA GRove, IowA • , , • • • , MAYOR THEODORE MuRPHY

"JACKSON, NEBRASKA , , , , , , , , , , , , , , MAYOR JACK HARTNETT "JEFFERSON, SouTH DAKOTA • .MAYoR W.!LLIAM CoLLEITE "KINGSLEY, IowA ••• , • • • • .MAYoR JAMES H. WATKINS "MARcus, IowA. • • • , • • • • , • MAYoR JoHN F. DuNN "MooRHEAD, IowA ••• , , •• , , • , • • • • , •••••• MAYoR IVAN NEILSON

NoRTH SIoux CnY, SouTH DAKOTA, • • • MAYoR J~LBERT STREETER ONAWA, IoWA , , , , , , , , , , MAYOR STANILEY STUKENHOLTZ PIERSON, IowA • • , , • • • • MAYoR Leo FARBER PoNcA, fjEBRASKA , , , , , •••• , • MAYol~ E. · C. IvERSON

"RoDNEY, IowA •• , • • • • , • • • • , , .MAYOR DAVID MANN SERGEANT BLUFF, . IOWA. , , , , •• MAYOR RAY MANN Sioux CITY, IowA. • • ·MAYoR G. WILLIAM GRoss

"SLOAN, IowA •••• , •••. ••. •••. •••••• , • • .MAYoR DouGLAS HANSEN SouTH Sioux CITY, JjEBRASKA. • •. , , •. ••. •. ••. •• , • • • •. • .MAYoR KeiTH FERRIS

*TuRIN, IowA • • • • • • • • • • .• • • .• • .• ~ • ~ .• • .MAYoR WAYNE MARSHALL "WHITING, IowA •• , • • • • • • • • • • •. • • ••. • . • , •••• MAYoR MoRTON FREEMAN

DAKOTA CITY PL~NNING & ZoNING CoMMISSION. • .MR. RALPH BEERMANN ~E~GEANT oLUFF PLANNING CoMMISSION. • • • • •• MI~. -CHARLES lliRR Sioux CITY PLANNING CoMMISSION. • • • • • • •• MR. GeoRGE A. CoLE SouTH Sioux CITY PLANNING & ZoNING CoMMISSION , , •• i·1R. RoNALD D. RAPP UNION CouNTY PLANNING CoMMISSION •••••• , , ••• MR. BuRL CLOUD WooDBURY CouNTY ZoNING CoMMISSION • , •• , •• MR. RoBERT M. RoGERS

OFFICERS, BOARD of DIRECTORS OFFICERS, COUNCIL of OFFICIALS

CHAIRMAN VICE CHAIRMAN SECRETARY

CHARLES E. STRONG STANL~Y STUKcNHOLTZ GARY POKORNY

PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT SECRETARY

TREASURER - PERRY G. CLEVELAND ATTORNEY - GARY L. JOHANSEN

TecHNICAL CoMMITTEE CHAIRMAN - JoHN E. CuRFMAN TECHNICAL COMMITTEE VICE CHAIRMAN - WALLACE R. STOVALL

*COUNCIL OF OFFICIALS

THEODORE MURPHY ALBERT STREETER CHARLES H. DIRR

SIOUX CllY, IOWA

MAYOR

CITY MANAGER

Cou,;c l LMEN

S IOUX CITY PLA1~N IHG COitHSSION

(i, WILLIAM GROSS

Ei , F. PoKORNY

LOREN CALLENDAR DoN LAwRENSON ToM L! NDBLOM I'IARGARET PRAHL

DAKOTA CllY, NEBRASKA

MAYOR

COUNCILMEN

ORIGINAL URBAN SIMPCO MEI1BERS

CHARLES E, STRONG

SH l RLEY F, HUGHES PETER w. JORGEJISEN DoNALD H. KuHL GoRDON F. PIPER

WOODBURY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

CHAIRMAN

MEMBERS

JERRY 0' SULL! VAN

RITA KLINE KENNETH -RODEEN WAYNE THOMPSON RALPH WILCOX CHAIRMAN

f'I.E MBERS

GOLBY UHLIR

STANLEY ANDERSON RoY BARNUM

DAKOTA CllY PLANNI NG & ZONING COMMISSION WOODBURY COUNTY PLANNING & ZONING COMMI SS ION

SOUTH S IOUX CllY, NEBRASKA

MAYOR

CITY ADMINISTRATOR

CouNCILMEN

IIAYNE CAIN GeoRGE CoLE iloa CowAN ,)AMES ENR l GHT GLOR IA fiSH RAY GRANDLE MICHAEL HUSBAND BRUCE KOLBE GLENN LUNDBLAD !B RUCE MARCUE ~"'ARGARET MoSHER 'VIRGINIA SOELBERG

I<E!TH fE RRIS

WALLACE STOVALL

JAcK BoB! ER FRANK BoesHART GeRALD CuRRY VERN lARSON leo i1AHON DENN l 5 i~Ets.ON JoHN PAULSON WAYiiE SHANKS

CHAIRMAN

MEMBERS

DAKOTA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

CHAIRMAN

MEMBERS

SERGEANT BLUFF, IOWA

MAYOR

COUNCILMEN

KeN Ros e

MARV l N ANDERSON RALPH BEERMANN RoNALD BRUNTON RoBERT DoeNHOEFER Rev, LAliREII EKDAHL RoBERT Lun DoN MILES fRANCIS SORENSEN

GEORGE W, SHRADER

DANIEL J, RoHDE JoHN W, SERV!NE

RAY MANN

JIM BISHOP ToM MAsseY fRANC l 5 STONE TERRY THOMPSON BILL WILLIAMSON

CHAIRMAN

MEMBERS

NORTH SIOUX CllY, SOUTH DAKOTA

MAYOR

CoUNCILMEN

UNION COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

CHAIRMAN

MEMBERS

PAUL PHI Lll PS

MAURICE CHOQUETTE RoBERT RoGERS JOHN SADLER MERV! N ZELLMER

ALBERT STREETER

CLARENCE W, CAMPBELL LOYD G l LBERTSON EARL W, HESTER MARION J. McMuRPHY RICHARD M. WH !TE

M. c. BAK

PHIL HILTON HARRY KRATOCHVIL RoY WEAVER RAY WENNBLOM

UNION COUNTY PLANNING & ZONI NG COMMISSION

SOUTH SIOUX CllY PLAn~l i~G & L.ONIIIG COI111ISS!ot~ SERGEANT BLUFF PLAi~N I NG & ZONING CHAIRMAN

MEMBERS

DEN NIS HULTGREN

ALFRED ALLARD WM. BowERS CHAIRMAN

MEI1lERS

EMERY JARV!LL

LEROY BARNES i3 JLL CLAUSEN STANLEY JOHANSEN LOUIE ~IARMO LEROY PF I STER RoN RAPP CLARK SORENSON Run t TODD

CHAIRMAN

MEMBERS

c. H. DIRR

ED BRAMBLE HARRY JUNCK WM. MAUPIN DoN MoGENSEN DoN WooDFORD

C0!1MISSIONS AND STAFF

NEBRASKA STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION

KARL UICKINSON JOSEPH LIPTON (CHAIRMAN) n i GHWAY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT J HIGHWAY CoMMISSIONER DISTRICT II

MER LE K1 NGSBURY HIGHWAY CafiMISSIONER DISTRICT III

EVERETT A. LILLICH (VICE CHAIRMAN) HIGHWAY Cof!MISSIONER DISTRICT IV

w. D. I~EWBERRY DR. BEN MECKEL HIGHWAY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT V HIGHWAY (Of!MlSSIONER DISTRICT VI

Joe J, HUCKFELDT BERNARD G. LOGAN HIGHWAY COf!MlSSIONER DISTRICT VII EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, HIGHWAY COMMISSION

NEBRASKA DEP>~RTMENT OF ROAIJS

THOMAS !J. lJoYLE ~IERLE F, REILING DIRECTOR- STATE ENGINEER DEPUTY DIRECTOR- HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION

CHARLES F, I~UTTER GiERO LD S, STROBEL DEPUTY - STATE ENGINEER - DIEPUTY STATE ENGINEER - OPERATIONS ENGINEER SERVICES

THoMAS McCARTHY DALE PoeLHMAN lliSTRICT ENGINEER- DISTRICT III PROJECT MANAGER

SIMPCO STAFF

DONALD M. MEISNER, DIRECTOR GERALD E. 2ELLER, AssiSTANT DI REC TOR

JAN ANDREWS BE TTY BoTTIGER VIRGINIA D. CARPENTER JUDY COCHR AN CATHERINE DUZIK RILEY J. FIELDS lANCE A. HEDQUIST IRVIN D. Joy RUTH KAPLAN

DONALD McKl NNEY RICHARD Morz KATHY ORISON ANDREW PANNELL PHYLLIS J, PETERSEN M1 CHAEL PETRONI S JAMES C. STEPHENS GENE STURM SANDRA TREVATHAN

SPECIAL THANKS To:

SIO UX CITY JOURNAL ROBERT H. 0oDSLEY - MANAGING . .EDITOR

IOWA I~ATIONAL GUARD CoL. CLEADETH P. WooDs CoL. WARREN G. NELSON

PREPARED BY:

RILEY J, fiELDS - SUPERVISOR PHYLLIS J. PETERSEN

RUTH S , KAPLAN KATHY J. ORISON CATHERINE DUZIK

PRINTED BY:

Sroux CITY PRINT SHoP ANTHONY ABRAMO - SUPERVISOR JAMES STEPHENS - PRINTER

..

BuRL CLOUD HAROLD FeRN IA WesLEY lARSON RoY WEAVER

IOWA DEPARTME1H OF TRAiiSPORTATION COMMISS!Oi~

BARBARA DUNN COMMISSIONER

DoNALD i< . GAF!DNER Cof!M I 55 I ON ER

' STEPHEN GARST COMMISS lONER

WILLIAM F, f1c:GRATH Cof!M I 55 lONER

GEORGE CALVEF!T 11ATERIALS iHSPECTION

KEITrl UAVIS CONTRACTS

TnOMAs DeWITTE DISTRICT PLA~INING ENGINEER

RoBERT G1 VEN iJEPUTY CHIEF ENGINEER

HowARD GuNNERSON HIGHWAY DIVJS,JON

RoBERT rlUMPitREY PROJECT PLANN l NG

RAYMOND KASSEL PLANNING & RESEARCH

RoBERT MciNTIRE CONSTRUCTION

KENNE TH MclAuGHLIN RoAD DesiGN

STAFF

ROBERT R. RIGLER Cof!MISSIONER

STANLEY L. SCHOELERMAN CoMMI ss lONER

ALLAN THOMS COMMI 55 l OllER

VICTOR PREISSER iJIRECTOR

DoNALD McLEAN DEPUTY CHIEF ENGINEER

WALTER MoRRIS DEPUTY CHIEF ENGINEER

HARRY NELSON DISTRICT, CoNST, ENGINEER

CHARLES PES TON I K BRIDGE DESIGN

NORMAN P1 ETSCH PROJECT MANAGER

GEORGE C. Rowe ACTING DIST, ENGINEER

HAROLD ScHIEL TRAFFIC ENGINEERING

CeciL SUTLIFF RESIDENTIA L MAINTENANCE ENG,

GoRDoN SweITZER RIGHT OF WAY

LEWIS AND CLARK HISTORICAL SOC I ETY

DR, V, STRODE HINDS PRESIDENT

RENI~ftRKS

REJ'IIARKS

.-

lOW ft.

SIOUXLAND /NT£RSTAT£ METROPOLITAN PLANNING COuNCIL