File:Mississippi River and Stone Arch Bridge from West River Parkway, Mill District, Minneapolis, MN - 51779990432.jpg

English: Built in 1883, this gently curved stone arch bridge was constructed across the Mississippi River by the Great Northern Railway for James J. Hill in order to serve Minneapolis Union Station, which was built at the foot of the Hennepin Avenue Bridge along the riverfront. The second-oldest bridge over the river, the bridge features simple granite and limestone blocks with 21 arch spans and a steel-deck truss span, added when the Upper St. Anthony Falls Dam and Lock were built, stretching 2,100 feet (640 meters) and standing 24 feet (7.5 meters) above the river. The bridge helped link the long-established west bank settlement around St. Anthony Falls with the fast-growing east bank settlement that became Downtown Minneapolis, and allowed for rail traffic to cross the river in the city as it expanded in population and footprint. The bridge remained in use for rail traffic until 1978, when rail service was discontinued in Downtown Minneapolis, with the tracks eventually being removed, before being adapted to its present use as a pedestrian and bicycle bridge between 1992 and 1994. The bridge is a contributing structure in the Saint Anthony Falls Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, and was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1974.