Originally Posted by SalsaShark

We've got two bridges over the Mississippi that i ride across regularly. The Julien Dubuque bridge crosses from Iowa to Illinois, and has a seperate footpath away from the automobile traffic.
The other bridge connects Iowa to Wisconsin, and is a 4-Lane divided highway with a fairly wide shoulder (albeit with drainage grates and usually a fair amout of road debris). I regularly ride a tri-state loop, starting across one bridge, crossing the state line on the other side of the river, and returning on the other bridge back into Iowa. Both bridges offer good views of the river and bluffs, but i think most people would prefer the aesthetics of the Julien Dubuque bridge. Interestingly, a lot of locals despise riding across this bridge's seperated footpath, as it is not very wide, and enclosed by chain link fencing - i have no problems with it.