East Channel Railroad Bridge, Minneapolis, MN (johnweeks.com)The Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad built the first bridge across the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities area at this location. The bridge opened May 1, 1867. The complete river crossings consists of two spans, one over the main channel of the Mississippi River, and this bridge over the smaller east channel of the Mississippi River. The land between the two river channels is known as Nicollet Island.
