[Photo 5] The Stone Arch Bridge. The Stone Arch Bridge, which connects the east and west banks of the Mississippi near downtown Minneapolis, was built in 1883 by James J. Hill’s Union Railway Company and is recognized as a National Civil Engineering Landmark. The bridge is constructed of granite and limestone; its 23 arches span 2,100 feet. In 1978, railroad traffic on the bridge ended. The bridge was derelict until the 1990s when it was renovated as a pedestrian bridge. Today, it is the jewel in the crown of the Minneapolis riverfront restoration.