Dale Gardner Veterans Memorial Bridge

Dale Gardner Veterans Memorial Bridge
Coordinates	42°06′16″N 90°09′38″W / 42.10444°N 90.16056°W / 42.10444; -90.16056Coordinates: 42°06′16″N 90°09′38″W / 42.10444°N 90.16056°W / 42.10444; -90.16056
Carries	2 lanes of US 52
Crosses	Mississippi River
Locale	Savanna, Illinois / Jackson County, near Sabula, Iowa, River Mile 537.8
Other name(s)	Savanna-Sabula Bridge
Maintained by	Illinois Department of Transportation
Characteristics
Design	steel tied-arch
Total length	2,482 ft (757 m)
Width	40 ft (12 m), 2 lanes
Longest span	518 ft (158 m)
Clearance below	65 ft (20 m)
History
Opened	November 17, 2017

The Dale Gardner Veterans Memorial Bridge is a steel tied-arch that carries U.S. Route 52 (US 52) across the Mississippi River. It connects the city of Savanna, Illinois, with the island city of Sabula, Iowa. Construction on the span began in 2016 and it opened on November 17, 2017. It was erected by Bumpy's Steel Erection of East St. Louis, Illinois and Edward Kraemer & Sons of Plain, Wisconsin.^[1] The bridge replaced the Savanna–Sabula Bridge, which was located a few yards to the north.

The Dale Gardner Veterans Memorial Bridge was closed on February 27, 2018 while an adjoining causeway was replaced. The Running Slough Bridge had sunk between 1 foot (0.30 m) and 5 feet (1.5 m) causing a visible change to the structure.^[2] The causeway bridge was deemed unsafe until the replacement was complete. The closure necessitated a 36-mile (58 km) detour to Clinton, Iowa/Fulton, Illinois. A complimentary ferry service between Savanna and Sabula began operations on June 12. The bridge was re-opened on August 31, 2018.^[3]

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