ND: Liberty Memorial Bridge Project

Nominee: On Time – Medium Project
Liberty Memorial Bridge Project
Bismarck – Mandan, ND

“Not only does the new Liberty Memorial Bridge provide a beautiful backdrop to the Missouri River, it also serves the increased traffic demands between the two cities. The new bridge now has four lanes of traffic, rather than two that the old bridge provided and has greatly improved accessibility to downtown Bismarck. In addition, the wide sidewalks and overlooks provide a wonderful spot to view the Missouri River.”

Kevin Hullet
Bismarck-Mandan Chamber President

The Liberty Memorial Bridge allows the state to remember and honor North Dakotans who have served our country and fought for freedom. When the first bridge was built in the 1920s, it was named the North Dakota Memorial Bridge, but was soon renamed the Liberty Memorial Bridge in honor of those who served in World War I.

The new Liberty Memorial Bridge design incorporates plazas at each entrance of the bridge. Each plaza has 11 spires that symbolize the Armistice, which is the peace agreement reached at the 11th hour of the 11th day in the 11th month of 1918 to end World War I. Just as Armistice Day was changed to Veteran’s Day to include veterans from all wars, so too, the new Liberty Memorial Bridge is dedicated to all veterans.

Five overlooks on the south side of the bridge each represent and recognize a service branch of the United States military: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The plazas and overlooks are designed to honor all veterans with flags. The flags, plazas and overlooks symbolize the military standing guard, protecting the communities of Bismarck and Mandan, North Dakota and America.

Residents and businesses from the communities of Bismarck and Mandan participated in each part of the project design, through local committees and public input meetings. The North Dakota Department of Transportation worked in partnership with community residents and city officials to build the new bridge.

The Liberty Memorial Bridge is a story about the people who serve our country in military service, and the people of Bismarck and Mandan who worked together to provide a structure built with tradition, vision and honor.