Camilla R. Deiber
Published: 2009
Total Pages: 76
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On behalf of the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), The Louis Berger Group, Inc. (Berger), has completed an Iowa Historic Property Study of the Iowa 3 Bridge over the West Branch of the Des Moines River near Humboldt, Iowa. The bridge (FHWA No. 028980) was surveyed by Clayton B. Fraser in 1992 and was recommended as eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places as the longest example of the steel deck plate-girder bridge in the state with a main span length of 397 feet. The Iowa DOT is proposing to replace the bridge in fiscal year 2009. The bridge inspection report from 2006 stated that the bridge was in poor condition with a superstructure that exhibits rust and deterioration on the flanges, girders, and diaphragms beneath the joints at Piers 1 and 3 (Neubauer 2006:1-3). This historic property study was conducted under Iowa DOT project number BRF-003-3(38)--38-46 and in accordance with the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by the Iowa State Historic Preservation Office in December 2007. The goal of the documentation project was to generate a documentary record of the bridge as specified in Appendix A of the MOA: Iowa Historic Property Study: Bridges, Des Moines River Bridge, Humboldt, Iowa. Data on the property was gathered through background research, field investigation, and photo documentation. Berger Architectural Historian Camilla Deiber conducted the field investigation on July 30, 2008. In August 2008 and January 2009, Ms. Deiber conducted historical research to prepare the historical background, construction history, and significance sections of the documentation narrative at various repositories, including the Iowa Department of Transportation Library, and the State Historical Society Library of Iowa in Iowa City. There were very few limitations encountered during the course of the project. While the bridge construction was covered by the local newspaper, articles did not contain a substantial amount of detail.