The Liberty Memorial Bridge was built in 1922 as the final coast-to-coast link of U.S. Highway 10. It was dedicated to honor North Dakotans who fought in World War I, and was the first Missouri River bridge designed for automobile traffic. The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. The existing Memorial Bridge is part of Bismarck-Mandan’s social, recreational, and transportation history. The new bridge must be able to fill the same role for future generations by being affordable, safe, functional, and beautiful.

2004
The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) held public meetings and public hearings, and collected comments and questions in many different ways from the public, before determining which alternative to build.

Before the design phase began, NDDOT formed a Citizens’ Advisory Committee of about 20 selected representatives from state and city agencies, the Chamber of Commerce, and veterans’ organizations, as well as any interested members of the public at large. The Citizens’ Advisory Committee met several times and recommended design options for the new bridge.

A technical committee -- comprised of engineers and architects from NDDOT, the Federal Highway Administration, the cities of Bismarck and Mandan, and various consultant firms -- used the Citizens’ Advisory Committee recommendations to create a final design decision document and presented it to NDDOT and the cities of Bismarck and Mandan.

Bridge Design Recommendation: The Citizens’ Advisory Committee recommended a long-span, high-profile bridge, and the NDDOT director and mayors of Bismarck and Mandan approved that decision. Long-span means a longer-than-average span between bridge piers, the supports that hold the bridge above the water. A long-span bridge shows more of the river and scenery and has more room between piers than a short-span bridge does. High-profile means that the piers are tall and hold the bridge higher above the water, allowing more vertical clearance for tall boats and, again, making the river and scenery more visible.

2005
Two alternative bridge designs were created – Concrete or Steel.

November 18 - Bid opening for the new Liberty Memorial Bridge did not yield any bids. NDDOT Representatives interviewed contracting firms and concluded timing was at the root of the issue, due to damage from the hurricanes, there were significant projects being bid in the southeastern part of the country. Based on this information, NDDOT continued to work with officials from the cities of Bismarck and Mandan to put together a new bid package and re-bid the bridge project in April 2006.

2006
February 15 -April 7, 2006: NDDOT temporarily closed the bridge for safety reasons, pending completion of repairs to ensure that the bridge is safe for traffic. Repairs were completed and bridge reopened April 7.

April 28 – Bids for the bridge were opened and Lunda Construction Company of Black River Falls, Wisconsin was awarded the project with its bid of approximately $47 million for a steel bridge.

June 12 - Groundbreaking Ceremony held for new bridge.

Work begins on the new Memorial Bridge this summer. Traffic will be transferred to the new bridge from the existing structure in 2008; completion is expected in late 2008 or 2009.