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a severe
September 1995 flood caused the bridge to be impassable and also made an eventual washout of debris onto Childs Glacier inevitable. State engineers determined that it was less expensive to repair the bridge than it would be to remove it, or (in a worst-case scenario) clean up if the bridge completely collapsed into the river. Such a cleanup would have been required due to the
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Temporary repairs, consisting of a rudimentary system of cables, I-beams, and planks, kept the bridge passable after the 1964 earthquake. The bridge was permanently repaired starting in 2004, and the repaired bridge was dedicated in August 2005. The controversial decision was made to repair it after
1051:
531:. The track reached the bridge site in Oct. 1908. Actual bridge construction started on 5 April 1909 with span #1 completed in 10.5 days, span #2 in 6 days, span #3 in 10 days and span #4 was completed a month later. The bridge was in full service by July 1910.
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from the Miles
Glacier meant the bridge needed to withstand icebergs, up to 20 feet in height, moving with the 7.2 miles per hour current. Additionally, the river ranged 24 feet in height. The bed of the river was loose sand and gravel to a depth of 20 feet.
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This Bridge once served the Copper River and
Northwestern Railroad trains, and was converted to a Highway Bridge in 1958. The Bridge crosses the Copper River between two scenic and active glaciers. The Childs Glacier to the west and the
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500:– while other bridges along the Copper River Highway from Cordova to Chitina were destroyed, the Million Dollar Bridge was "merely damaged". One of the bridge spans, #4, slipped off its foundation after the earthquake.
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In August 2016, a large iceberg struck the icebreaker protecting the bridge’s first pier. The damaged icebreaker was moved downstream during a high water event in 2019, and offers no protection to the first pier.
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The site was selected in 1907 and the bridge would have four spans, #1 at 400 feet, #2 at 300 feet, #3 at 450 feet and #4 at 400 feet, mounted on three piers. The piers would be placed on
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to the east. Known as the
Million Dollar Bridge, and constructed during severe winter conditions. It was considered one of the great engineering feats of all time.
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464:, and there is currently no access by road. The cost of repairs has prevented necessary maintenance albeit Miles Glacier bridge remains an attraction for tourists.
480:. This bridge was the most significant of the group. However, its use as a railroad bridge ended in 1938 when the Copper River and Northwestern Railway shut down.
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out of the way of most ice. Piers #1 and #2 required detached icebreakers. Excavation of the piers and icebreakers was accomplished through the use of
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Copper River & Northwest
Railroad, Million Dollar Bridge, Spanning Copper River at Miles Glacier, Cordova, Valdez-Cordova Census Area, AK
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Work to convert the old rail bed into a highway bridge was completed in 1958. In the same year, a plaque was placed on the bridge:
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Current access to the bridge is limited to jet boat travel up the Copper River or boat travel downriver from
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The bridge at Mile 49 needed to span 1,500 feet of the Copper River between two glaciers on either bank.
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42:
Miles
Glacier Bridge in 2008. The far left span as seen in this photo shows the repairs performed in 2004.
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salmon runs. The repairs cost $ 16 million in federal and $ 3 million in state tax dollars.
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Buildings and structures on the
National Register of Historic Places in Chugach Census Area, Alaska
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892:
419:
595:
1072:
There are no sites listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in Kusilvak Census Area.
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824:", 17 photos, 4 color transparencies, 2 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
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Damage done by the earthquake, with the temporary fixes performed to make the bridge usable
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because of its $ 1.4 million cost, well recouped by the about $ 200 million worth of
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University and college buildings listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
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List of bridges documented by the
Historic American Engineering Record in Alaska
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16:"Million Dollar Bridge" redirects here. For the bridge in Portland, Maine, see
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National Register of Historic Places listings in Chugach Census Area, Alaska
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Railroad bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Alaska
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List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places
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563:
List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Alaska
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Katalla Corporation; Carnegie Steel Company; American Bridge Company
1634:
Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Alaska
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which completed a 196-mile (315 km) railroad line for the
622:"Copper River & Northwest Railroad, Million Dollar Bridge"
761:"Million Dollar Bridge on pace to be repaired by spring 2005"
739:"National Register of Historic Places Listings April 7, 2000"
813:
A panoramic image of the bridge, probably taken in the 1920s
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and associated bridges were built between 1906 and 1911 by
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ore which was shipped as a result of its construction.
798:
1911 newspaper article about the Kenicott-Cordova line
691:. D'Aloguin Publishing Co. p. 91,117–130,183–189.
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
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1171:List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state
1624:Pennsylvania truss bridges in the United States
1563:National Register of Historic Places portal
1619:Historic American Engineering Record in Alaska
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443:Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve
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717:"NRHP nomination for Million Dollar Bridge"
437:to haul copper from the old mining town of
271:, about 35 miles (56 km) northeast of
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808:2002 article from the Alaska Science Forum
803:1985 article from the Alaska Science Forum
496:The bridge was among many affected by the
402:, was built in the early 1900s across the
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1111:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
208:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
445:, to the port of Cordova. It earned its
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633:. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress
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1604:Bridges in Unorganized Borough, Alaska
653:"National Register Information System"
615:
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620:Faulkner, Sandra M. (July 23, 1986).
474:Copper River and Northwestern Railway
427:Copper River and Northwestern Railway
343:A.C. O'Neel; Erastus Corning Hawkins;
7:
863:National Register of Historic Places
818:Historic American Engineering Record
658:National Register of Historic Places
630:Historic American Engineering Record
505:National Register of Historic Places
1639:Steel bridges in the United States
1526:National Historic Preservation Act
14:
703:"Million Dollar Bridge in danger"
127:Pennsylvania (Petit) truss bridge
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1594:1911 establishments in Alaska
503:The bridge was placed on the
460:due to the erosion along the
18:Million Dollar Bridge (Maine)
689:Iron Rails to Alaskan Copper
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1531:Historic Preservation Fund
1510:American Legation, Morocco
15:
1599:Bridges completed in 1911
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1472:Lists by associated state
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687:Alfredo O. Quinn (1995).
441:, now located within the
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348:NRHP reference
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23:Bridge in Cordova, Alaska
1453:Northern Mariana Islands
820:(HAER) No. AK-10, "
759:Gay, Joel (2004-01-05).
741:. Cr.nps.gov. 2000-04-07
418:. It is a multiple-span
719:. National Park Service
150:1,550 feet (470 m)
1448:Minor Outlying Islands
1431:Lists by insular areas
1145:Keeper of the Register
498:1964 Alaska earthquake
494:
1150:National Park Service
1130:Contributing property
1052:Prince of Wales–Hyder
663:National Park Service
596:Million Dollar Bridge
485:
400:Million Dollar Bridge
300:60.6731°N 144.74583°W
200:Million Dollar Bridge
1505:District of Columbia
925:Fairbanks North Star
794:at Wikimedia Commons
792:Miles Glacier Bridge
765:Anchorage Daily News
462:Copper River Highway
398:, also known as the
396:Miles Glacier Bridge
269:Copper River Highway
71:60.6729°N 144.7458°W
30:Miles Glacier Bridge
1057:Southeast Fairbanks
705:. 11 November 2016.
478:Michael James Heney
410:in what is now the
305:60.6731; -144.74583
296: /
67: /
1609:Bridges to nowhere
955:Lake and Peninsula
420:Pennsylvania truss
319:less than one acre
179:Construction start
76:60.6729; -144.7458
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1135:Historic district
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945:Ketchikan Gateway
790:Media related to
435:Guggenheim family
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1377:South Dakota
1367:Rhode Island
1362:Pennsylvania
1342:North Dakota
1027:Copper River
1001:Census areas
1000:
884:
769:the original
764:
754:
743:. Retrieved
733:
721:. Retrieved
711:
697:
688:
656:
647:
635:. Retrieved
628:
599:
546:
542:Copper River
538:
522:
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502:
495:
486:
482:
471:
455:
431:J. P. Morgan
404:Copper River
399:
395:
393:
147:Total length
101:Copper River
1498:Other areas
1458:Puerto Rico
1292:Mississippi
1207:Connecticut
965:North Slope
915:Bristol Bay
517:Ice calving
429:, built by
303: /
291:144°44′45″W
279:Coordinates
267:Mile 48 of
91:road bridge
74: /
62:144°44′45″W
49:Coordinates
1588:Categories
1407:Washington
1327:New Mexico
1322:New Jersey
1197:California
1047:Petersburg
1032:Dillingham
859:Properties
745:2011-08-28
637:January 8,
601:Structurae
574:References
412:U.S. state
361:AHRS
288:60°40′23″N
59:60°40′22″N
1417:Wisconsin
1382:Tennessee
1287:Minnesota
1262:Louisiana
910:Anchorage
507:in 2000.
439:Kennicott
367:COR-00005
340:Architect
1573:Category
1402:Virginia
1352:Oklahoma
1332:New York
1307:Nebraska
1297:Missouri
1282:Michigan
1272:Maryland
1257:Kentucky
1237:Illinois
1212:Delaware
1202:Colorado
1192:Arkansas
985:Wrangell
885:Boroughs
723:June 12,
552:See also
529:caissons
511:Features
447:nickname
433:and the
384:Location
355:00000293
332:Built by
264:Location
158:of spans
141:concrete
133:Material
125:through
1519:Related
1422:Wyoming
1397:Vermont
1302:Montana
1242:Indiana
1222:Georgia
1217:Florida
1187:Arizona
1177:Alabama
1022:Chugach
990:Yakutat
980:Skagway
861:on the
535:Repairs
468:History
458:Chitina
408:Cordova
273:Cordova
174:History
97:Crosses
87:Carries
1357:Oregon
1312:Nevada
1252:Kansas
1227:Hawaii
1182:Alaska
1118:Topics
1017:Bethel
935:Juneau
930:Haines
920:Denali
867:Alaska
451:copper
423:bridge
416:Alaska
122:Design
107:Locale
1489:Palau
1387:Texas
1267:Maine
1232:Idaho
975:Sitka
625:(PDF)
324:Built
190:1910
137:Steel
1443:Guam
1392:Utah
1347:Ohio
1247:Iowa
1042:Nome
725:2017
639:2022
525:bars
472:The
394:The
327:1910
316:Area
182:1909
139:and
865:in
598:at
414:of
363:No.
350:No.
156:No.
1590::
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1103:e
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727:.
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169:3
161:4
20:.
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