The US65 (Oak Street) bridge is one of a trio of open spandrel concrete arch bridges located within a stretch of the Iowa River as it meanders its way through the middle of scenic Iowa Falls. Built in 1928 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the original bridge served its purpose for over 80 years.
The Iowa DOT sought input from the community during the planning stages of project development. The result was a local preference for the concrete arch bridge to be replaced with another arch structure, thus keeping the river free of supporting piers and maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the arch bridge theme prevalent at the two other nearby river crossings in town. An above-deck, steel through-arch bridge type was chosen as the final concept.
The new bridge features a 42-foot roadway, a sidewalk and a bicycle trail.