While working on revisions to my Sioux City Highway Chronology page — for some reason I never uploaded new entries and a new 1972 map when I finished it; they’re there now — I got to thinking about the era of a historic bridge there.
The Combination Bridge was one of six Iowa border bridges opened in the 19th century later part of the state and US highway system. Only one remains, the Government Bridge to the Rock Island Arsenal, and it doesn’t carry any highways anymore. For all but its last five years, the Combination Bridge was the way across the Missouri River in the Sioux City area. It was replaced a week before its 85th anniversary.
The state of Iowa recently celebrated its 171st birthday, which is just more than double 85 years. With an online calculator, I figured a factoid: On December 16, 2016, for the first time since 1945, the existence of the Combination Bridge covered less time than half of Iowa’s statehood.