First Avenue Bridge Reopens--Finally

Gary Hodges of Des Moines removes the last barrier along First Avenue East in Cedar Rapids as traffic flows across the bridge Wednesday morning, November 24, 1993. The bridge area had been closed since August 2 for a $373,765 work project that included restoring the asphalt surface, repairing the west abutment, patching sidewalks and installing wheelchair ramps and driveways around City Hall and the Federal Building. Hodge was an employee for Warning Lights of Iowa.

The First Avenue bridge is the fourth structure to span the Cedar River at its location. The first was a toll bridge that was built in 1859-1860 and later destroyed by river ice in 1871. The second bridge, an iron-constructed "marvel," was built shortly thereafter and stood until about 1920. Land from May's Island was extended to the third First Avenue bridge in the early 1920s to accommodate the construction of the new City Hall building in 1927. The present bridge was built in 1963-1964. It became awash for the first time by flood waters on June 12, 2008, but has remained structurally sound.