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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
1062:
542:. 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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511:– 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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475:, 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.
491:. 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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53:
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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279:
101:
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Buildings and structures on the
National Register of Historic Places in Chugach Census Area, Alaska
488:
903:
430:
606:
1083:
There are no sites listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in Kusilvak Census Area.
449:
445:
835:", 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
17:
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University and college buildings listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
441:
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569:
List of bridges documented by the
Historic American Engineering Record in Alaska
527:
27:"Million Dollar Bridge" redirects here. For the bridge in Portland, Maine, see
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297:
81:
68:
579:
National Register of Historic Places listings in Chugach Census Area, Alaska
797:
457:
151:
832:
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Railroad bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Alaska
1549:
List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places
877:
574:
List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Alaska
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433:
426:
346:
Katalla Corporation; Carnegie Steel Company; American Bridge Company
1645:
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
633:"Copper River & Northwest Railroad, Million Dollar Bridge"
772:"Million Dollar Bridge on pace to be repaired by spring 2005"
750:"National Register of Historic Places Listings April 7, 2000"
824:
A panoramic image of the bridge, probably taken in the 1920s
487:
and associated bridges were built between 1906 and 1911 by
464:
ore which was shipped as a result of its construction.
809:
1911 newspaper article about the Kenicott-Cordova line
702:. 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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1182:List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state
1635:Pennsylvania truss bridges in the United States
1574:National Register of Historic Places portal
1630:Historic American Engineering Record in Alaska
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454:Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve
8:
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728:"NRHP nomination for Million Dollar Bridge"
448:to haul copper from the old mining town of
282:, about 35 miles (56 km) northeast of
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819:2002 article from the Alaska Science Forum
814:1985 article from the Alaska Science Forum
507:The bridge was among many affected by the
413:, was built in the early 1900s across the
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1122:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
219:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
456:, to the port of Cordova. It earned its
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644:. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress
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1615:Bridges in Unorganized Borough, Alaska
664:"National Register Information System"
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631:Faulkner, Sandra M. (July 23, 1986).
485:Copper River and Northwestern Railway
438:Copper River and Northwestern Railway
354:A.C. O'Neel; Erastus Corning Hawkins;
7:
874:National Register of Historic Places
829:Historic American Engineering Record
669:National Register of Historic Places
641:Historic American Engineering Record
516:National Register of Historic Places
1650:Steel bridges in the United States
1537:National Historic Preservation Act
25:
714:"Million Dollar Bridge in danger"
138:Pennsylvania (Petit) truss bridge
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227:Alaska Heritage Resources Survey
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1490:Federated States of Micronesia
1136:Architectural style categories
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1605:1911 establishments in Alaska
514:The bridge was placed on the
471:due to the erosion along the
29:Million Dollar Bridge (Maine)
700:Iron Rails to Alaskan Copper
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1542:Historic Preservation Fund
1521:American Legation, Morocco
26:
1610:Bridges completed in 1911
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1483:Lists by associated state
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698:Alfredo O. Quinn (1995).
452:, now located within the
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359:NRHP reference
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236:
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34:Bridge in Cordova, Alaska
1464:Northern Mariana Islands
831:(HAER) No. AK-10, "
770:Gay, Joel (2004-01-05).
752:. Cr.nps.gov. 2000-04-07
429:. It is a multiple-span
730:. National Park Service
161:1,550 feet (470 m)
1459:Minor Outlying Islands
1442:Lists by insular areas
1156:Keeper of the Register
509:1964 Alaska earthquake
505:
1161:National Park Service
1141:Contributing property
1063:Prince of Wales–Hyder
674:National Park Service
607:Million Dollar Bridge
496:
411:Million Dollar Bridge
311:60.6731°N 144.74583°W
211:Million Dollar Bridge
18:Million Dollar Bridge
1516:District of Columbia
936:Fairbanks North Star
805:at Wikimedia Commons
803:Miles Glacier Bridge
776:Anchorage Daily News
473:Copper River Highway
409:, also known as the
407:Miles Glacier Bridge
280:Copper River Highway
82:60.6729°N 144.7458°W
41:Miles Glacier Bridge
1068:Southeast Fairbanks
716:. 11 November 2016.
489:Michael James Heney
421:in what is now the
316:60.6731; -144.74583
307: /
78: /
1620:Bridges to nowhere
966:Lake and Peninsula
431:Pennsylvania truss
330:less than one acre
190:Construction start
87:60.6729; -144.7458
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1146:Historic district
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971:Matanuska-Susitna
956:Ketchikan Gateway
801:Media related to
446:Guggenheim family
417:fifty miles from
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1388:South Dakota
1378:Rhode Island
1373:Pennsylvania
1353:North Dakota
1038:Copper River
1012:Census areas
1011:
895:
780:the original
775:
765:
754:. Retrieved
744:
732:. Retrieved
722:
708:
699:
667:
658:
646:. Retrieved
639:
610:
557:
553:Copper River
549:
533:
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513:
506:
497:
493:
482:
466:
442:J. P. Morgan
415:Copper River
410:
406:
404:
158:Total length
112:Copper River
1509:Other areas
1469:Puerto Rico
1303:Mississippi
1218:Connecticut
976:North Slope
926:Bristol Bay
528:Ice calving
440:, built by
314: /
302:144°44′45″W
290:Coordinates
278:Mile 48 of
102:road bridge
85: /
73:144°44′45″W
60:Coordinates
1599:Categories
1418:Washington
1338:New Mexico
1333:New Jersey
1208:California
1058:Petersburg
1043:Dillingham
870:Properties
756:2011-08-28
648:January 8,
612:Structurae
585:References
423:U.S. state
372:AHRS
299:60°40′23″N
70:60°40′22″N
1428:Wisconsin
1393:Tennessee
1298:Minnesota
1273:Louisiana
921:Anchorage
518:in 2000.
450:Kennicott
378:COR-00005
351:Architect
1584:Category
1413:Virginia
1363:Oklahoma
1343:New York
1318:Nebraska
1308:Missouri
1293:Michigan
1283:Maryland
1268:Kentucky
1248:Illinois
1223:Delaware
1213:Colorado
1203:Arkansas
996:Wrangell
896:Boroughs
734:June 12,
563:See also
540:caissons
522:Features
458:nickname
444:and the
395:Location
366:00000293
343:Built by
275:Location
169:of spans
152:concrete
144:Material
136:through
1530:Related
1433:Wyoming
1408:Vermont
1313:Montana
1253:Indiana
1233:Georgia
1228:Florida
1198:Arizona
1188:Alabama
1033:Chugach
1001:Yakutat
991:Skagway
872:on the
546:Repairs
479:History
469:Chitina
419:Cordova
284:Cordova
185:History
108:Crosses
98:Carries
1368:Oregon
1323:Nevada
1263:Kansas
1238:Hawaii
1193:Alaska
1129:Topics
1028:Bethel
946:Juneau
941:Haines
931:Denali
878:Alaska
462:copper
434:bridge
427:Alaska
133:Design
118:Locale
1500:Palau
1398:Texas
1278:Maine
1243:Idaho
986:Sitka
636:(PDF)
335:Built
201:1910
148:Steel
1454:Guam
1403:Utah
1358:Ohio
1258:Iowa
1053:Nome
736:2017
650:2022
536:bars
483:The
405:The
338:1910
327:Area
193:1909
150:and
876:in
609:at
425:of
374:No.
361:No.
167:No.
1601::
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1184::
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180:3
172:4
31:.
20:)
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